Elden Ring, my witch is a talkative beautiful girl

"As a partner, hiding behind me when you're in danger, or even sneaking away on your own, is such a disgrace. This beautiful girl can't afford to lose face." Melina squatted beside him. In the dim corridor, the blessed golden light illuminated Bai Zhe's cheeks. "And I don't want someone to erect a monument with the words: My partner and I encountered an ominous demon at the Stonewell Gate Bridge. We tried our best but couldn't defeat it. We collapsed at the first level. That's so, so—humiliating!"

"Hehe, hehe, cough cough." Ah Tui, who was drinking Red Dettol, was amused by her. He choked on the liquid and coughed it out. "Now we are doing this. If we change it to fighting with all our might and retreating in a panic, it doesn't seem to be much better, right?"

"It's different, completely different." Melina crossed her arms, making a big negative sign. "As long as we're alive, there are endless possibilities. I'm sure my partner will win next time. But before we challenge Market again, we need to do some special training. Your fighting style is too monotonous. You don't use any combat skills, magic, or even the ashes you fight with."

The witch pointed out the inappropriateness of Atui in the battle one by one. His choices in the battle itself were not wrong, but his preparations before the battle were too inadequate. It was not a 1v1 life-and-death game in the Colosseum. Why should he talk about morality with the enemy and make things difficult for himself when he could just summon the ashes to fight in a group?

Ah Dai humbly accepted the advice: "You are right. This is my habit when fighting. I will gradually improve it in the future. But what about combat skills and magic? Ah Mei, can you teach me?"

Previously, he only had three moves in combat: normal attack, shield blocking, and roll evasion. Although the experience of a seasoned warrior allowed the Faded One to defeat most enemies with just these three basic skills, he was somewhat powerless when facing powerful enemies or large creatures in the wild.

"Although I can't just shout 'Praise the Sun!' and summon a division of troops like in 'The Heroic Legend of the Onion Knight', this beautiful girl does have some preparations." Melina said as she rummaged through her backpack, "I once tried to train Torret, letting it hold weapons in its mouth to destroy the enemy. It's a spirit, unaffected by abnormal conditions, runs fast, and can be resurrected infinitely. However, considering that the training took too long and consumed too many runes, I finally gave up.

A'tu wiped the cold sweat from his helmet. Torret must have had a very hard time during that period. If it could transform into a beast warrior form, he probably wouldn't have had much of a chance.

"But the training during that period was not without results. I got to know the locations of several institutions that teach combat skills and magic." Melina finally found a notebook from the bottom of her backpack, and was glad that she didn't throw it away as trash.

"There's a place near Stonewell City where we can train in combat skills. Let's go there first." She opened her notebook and circled a red circle on the map. "It's called 'The Battle Practitioner's Broken House.'"

“It sounds like it’s going to go bankrupt soon…”

How can you attract customers these days if you don't give your name something grand and catchy? Even if it's not Valhalla or World Tree, at least give it something like Silver Hand or Knights Templar, right?

"Although the name is a bit embarrassing, it has the official certification of Rodel to teach combat skills. We can just teleport directly to the nearest blessing."

The witch did it right away. She took A'tai, who had just recovered from a serious injury, and touched the blessing. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the jungle near their destination.

He played the flute and mounted the horse, all in one go. Within half an hour, he was standing in front of the "broken house of the warrior".

"Amei..."

"What's wrong, partner?"

"I take back what I said earlier."

"Which sentence about the dilapidated house - the moon chair, Lu Yiqi, and Yiyang, and the four?"

"Yes."

Ah Tu looked at the big hole in the wooden roof and thought that whoever named this place was really honest. This is a real dilapidated house! It is not waterproof even on rainy days. If it rains a little harder, they can open a swimming training class.

"Young faded one, don't be deceived by the illusion before you." A deep, deep male voice came from behind them. "Not everyone who sets foot on this land has lost their original intention."

Ah Tui turned around and looked at the man who was speaking. He was wearing heavy armor with intricate patterns. Although it had gone through years, it was obvious that the owner had maintained it well. The stubble on his face made him look quite old. The big sword on his shoulder was skewered with a few hares, which must have been his dinner.

Rather than a warrior, A'tu felt that he was more like a hunter living in the forest.

Melina stepped forward and said, "Excuse me, is this Mr. Bernard? We..."

"I know who you are. Everyone who comes here has only one purpose." Bernard put down the broadsword with the rabbit on it and faced the two men. "But before I teach you my fighting skills, I have a few questions for you to answer. Only those who pass can learn fighting skills from me."

The moment he put down the "skewers", Bernal's aura suddenly changed, and he transformed from a hunter into a warrior.

"This person... is very strong." A'di came to the conclusion in his heart that this person's fighting ability is definitely not comparable to those soldiers under Greg's command. He exudes a heavy aura of having gone through hundreds of battles and walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Bernard asked loudly, "Will you continue to fight on this borderland? Even if the Golden Rule is broken beyond repair, will you continue to trust in the guidance of the Blessing?"

Melina answered quickly, "That's right! My partner is the best fader. Even now that the law is broken, or even if something worse happens in the future, he will always and forever persevere!"

"Very good." Bernard nodded in praise. "Your answer is a model for a Faded One. Your thoughts are invaluable in these chaotic times. I haven't seen young people as ambitious as you in a long time. I wonder if you're interested in inheriting my fighting skills? I've devoted my life to the sword, and I want to pass them on to exemplary Faded Ones like you."

As if out of the situation, A-Tai said: "I don't think I have time to say anything..."

Volume 1: The Beginning of the Journey: Chapter 11: Encouragement from the Witch

"Young man, there's no need to be shy." Bernard patted A'Tu's shoulder. "The Faded One and the Finger Priestess are different bodies with the same heart. Your Priestess has already told me your answer, but there's one thing you need to do before I begin teaching you."

"Uh... I always feel like what he said makes some sense, but it also seems like he's trying to trick us into working." Ah Tui glanced at Melina, who nodded repeatedly. She seemed to agree with Bernard's words. "Forget it, as long as Ah Mei is happy, that's all."

But what Bernal took out the next moment almost shattered his worldview. He actually took out a cheerleader's gymnastics uniform!

It was a pink outfit that could perfectly bring out the girl's soft body lines, and the youthful and energetic cheers could make the men fighting hard on the sports field unleash unprecedented potential.

"This miko lady..."

"My name is Melina."

"Ms. Melina, I can tell from the first glance that this dress suits her perfectly," Bernard said solemnly, his face serious. "Your every move is youthful and energetic. It reminds me of when I first set foot on the borderland and the little witch girl who followed me was always noisy and noisy. Those were truly wonderful days. It's great to be young..."

Ah Tui whispered, "Amei, this uncle is too weird. Should we consider finding someone else to learn combat skills from?"

What mountains of blood and blood, what hundreds of battles? It must be his perception that was wrong. This was just a useless old man who was immersed in the past, a bit lustful, and a bit greedy. They should find another wiser person to avoid wasting each other's time.

"Want to change places?" Melina squeezed her empty purse. "But this is the cheapest place in Nimgufu where you can learn combat skills."

If this continues, the two of them will really have to go to the Blood Bank for a loan.

"The price is negotiable." Bernard made an OK gesture. "As long as you're willing to wear this suit, cheer on me during training, and learn combat skills from Rune, it's all free. There are some things in this world that are priceless and can't be bought with money."

"Is it really appropriate for you to use this metaphor in a place like this?" Ah Tui rolled his eyes.

Melina emphasized the word "free" and agreed immediately: "Deal!"

"Excellent answer," Bernard applauded cheerfully. "So, to celebrate our agreement, let's enjoy dinner. Who's the better cook? I tend to cook with... passion, and a bit of a savagery. We're having company today, and I don't want to burn a hole in the roof like I did the last two weeks."

It sounds like this shabby house was still habitable until last week.

The next morning, the weather was very good.

A'tu and Bernal stood ten meters apart, both holding a small leather shield in their left hands and a wooden sword for training in their right hands.

Melina, who was standing nearby, had changed into a cheerleader uniform and was waving a pompadour. "Partner, come on! Parton, fight! With this beautiful girl as a cheerleader, we can learn all the basic fighting techniques in just two or three moves!"

She seemed to be completely immersed in the cheerleader role and was enjoying it quite a lot.

Bernard looked very satisfied. "Very good, very good. This is how learning combat skills should be done. With the support of the miko, the faded ones will be more motivated to work."

"You're the only one who's more motivated, right?" Ah Tui glanced at Melina's curvy figure, then averted his gaze like lightning, his heart beating faster.

Well, he admitted that what Bernal said made sense. When she was wearing a travel windbreaker before, he really didn't realize that Amei had such a good figure.

"It's almost time, let's begin." Bernard's eyes changed as he stepped forward with his left foot, his right hand holding the sword pointing diagonally forward. "So-called combat skills are different from magic and prayer. They are skills that can only be used when the warrior and the weapon are one. You need to calm your mind during battle and call upon the dormant combat skills within the weapon."

"Look here, combat skills, ready stance!"

As Bernard made his preparations, the muscles in his arms tensed in A'tu's sight, concentrating all his strength on his right hand holding the sword. The swordsman and the sword in his hand seemed to become one, and the wooden sword became an extension of his arm.

Ah Tu narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking: "High concentration of mind, and merging with the weapon into one, is this what you call a combat technique?"

The next moment, Bernard moved. His steps shifted from extreme stillness to extreme movement. The wooden sword slashed against the round shield, a powerful blow as heavy as a mountain, nearly breaking Atai's impenetrable defense.

"How powerful." This was the first thought that came to Ah Dai's mind. "An ordinary attack, after using the combat skills to enhance its power, has more than twice the power."

If you can learn combat skills and apply them skillfully in actual combat, defeating the "evil omen demon" and avenging your previous humiliation will no longer be a dream.

"Judging from your expression, I'm sure you've already understood the power of combat techniques. Using powerful techniques at the right time can even overturn the outcome of a battle." Bernard gathered his stance and spoke eloquently. "It's said that the Valkyrie Marenia, a master of these techniques, can, when she uses her unique skill, 'Water Bird Dance,' move freely across cliffs as if walking on flat ground. She can even temporarily ignore gravity and hover high in the sky like a bird."

This was the second time Ah Dai had heard of Marlennia's deeds from others since the events recorded on the sword monument. Naturally, he would ask about another warrior who was mentioned on the same level as her: "What about the Star-Breaking General Latarn? What is his unique skill?"

"You've heard of that strongest warrior, indeed." As fellow warriors, no one fails to aspire to the pinnacle of martial prowess, and Bernard is no exception. "If Marenia is the pinnacle of agility, then Latan is the undisputed king of strength. He even forged a unique path, incorporating gravity magic into his unique combat skills. He's an unparalleled presence, unmatched by the likes of us."

"Integrating magic into combat skills... He is already the strongest warrior, and he is also a part-time wizard..." There must be a reason why the strong can become strong. Today, A'tai once again deeply realized the meaning of this sentence.

Melina, on the other hand, didn't react at all after hearing this, still tossing the bouquet. "Sir, isn't your highest attribute Intelligence? We're all intelligence warriors, and once you learn magic, you won't necessarily lose to Latarn. No, your partner is meant to be the king of the borderland, so you're guaranteed to win!"

"Amei, you really have confidence in me."

"That's right. I have always had great confidence in my partner."

Melina threw the bouquet, put one hand on her waist, and blinked her big eyes at A Tui.

She believed in the faded one she had chosen with all her heart.

Volume 1: The Journey Begins: Chapter 12: You Are a Genius

"Ahem, alright, enough small talk." After being hit by a blinding flashbang, Bernal coughed twice and brought the topic back to where it had strayed eight hundred miles away. "Try to experience the feeling I just described and try your combat skills. Failing a dozen times at first is also... Oh my god."

The combat skills teacher widened his eyes and cursed, just because Ah Tui succeeded in one go and used a ready stance, his movements and postures were exactly the same as what he had just done.

Ah Tui gathered strength between his five fingers, experiencing the feeling of using combat skills: "Is there a problem? What did I do wrong?"

"No, it's very good. It's better than I thought. We can start the second lesson directly."

The first lesson is offense, and the second lesson is of course the corresponding defense.

"Blocking with a shield is indeed an effective way to deal with most attacks, but while defending, you often give up the opportunity to attack." Bernard tapped the shield with the wooden sword in his hand, signaling A-Tai to attack. "Come on, you will attack me next."

"Then I won't be polite." Ah Tui took a step forward, as fast as lightning.

"Combat skills, block!"

The moment the wooden sword hit the round shield, Bernal swung his shield to block it, adding his own strength to the trajectory of the wooden sword, which in turn caused the attacking Atai to lean forward and lose balance, leaving the goal wide open.

"Using the opponent's force to your advantage, turning defense into offense—that's the essence of blocking." The two separated again, and Bernard explained with a hint of boasting, "Although this blocking move is a very basic combat technique, it can be far more effective against most enemies. The only problem is that you must seize the opportunity to use it during the enemy's attack. Failure can be extremely costly. Be patient. It took me a long time to master this move."

Ah Tui nodded seriously: "I understand. I will remain patient until I learn it."

If he could skillfully use blocking, he would have a chance to block the earth-shattering hammer of "Silk Witch Willow. Zhao Yaogui", which would be a great improvement in combat.

"Okay, let's give it a try." Bernard turned to the offensive again. Considering the appalling failure rate and disastrous consequences of blocking, he didn't use the ready stance to increase his attack power. Even if he used a training wooden sword, if a blow dislocated the neck, it would still be fatal.

However, a minute later, the combat skills teacher's outlook on life was refreshed again. A-Tu saw through his attack with just one try and made a perfect block.

"Your talent is even greater than I imagined." Bernard took two steps back, avoiding the wooden sword at his neck. A drop of sweat trickled down his forehead. "You've learned the essence of blocking so quickly! If this had been a real fight, I would have been beheaded."

"Thank you." Ah Dai remained calm and didn't get carried away by his praise. "Although my memories of the past are vague, I seem to have been in a dark and gloomy place, fighting with a metal man with a round shield. It took a long time to perfectly block all his moves. Using the block again this time has also brought back some memories of that time."

The painful memory was almost etched into his instincts. Even when his memory was hazy, he could rely on muscle memory to execute perfect parries and counterattacks against ordinary attacks without hesitation. But this didn't mean that Atai was invincible, that he could carry Melina across the border without hesitation. Magic, prayers, ranged attacks, and even many special melee attacks were beyond the scope of parrying. If he foolishly blocked against such an enemy, he would be courting death.

Bernard was secretly surprised. "What kind of fighting life did this guy go through before he lost his memory? I've only seen two or three Faded Ones who, despite such tragic circumstances, still refused to give up the will to fight. If it were him, he might be able to accomplish that."

"Alright!" With this thought in mind, he shouted with full energy, "Taking advantage of this momentum, let me teach you all my fighting skills. This way, you can be considered a disciple."

Ah Tui was almost speechless: "When did the relationship between us become master and apprentice?"

Hearing this, Bernard burst into laughter. "Hahaha, of course it was from the moment you started learning combat skills from me." He looked at the cheerleader, "Ms. Melina, tell me if I'm right."

Melina jumped three feet high: "Keep going, partner, the disciple is better than the master!"

"Hahaha!" Bernard laughed heartily again. "You two will definitely become the best Fader and Miko, the best partnership in the Borderland. I, Bernard, will never be wrong."

After one day of training, A'ti mastered the tricks and made rapid progress. He could be said to be the person Bernal had taught the most to his satisfaction.

Bernard put down his training weapon and crossed his arms. "You learn quickly. There's nothing more I can teach you. Finally, let me tell you something. Besides basic combat techniques, many legendary weapons slumber in this land. The war ash etched upon them imbues them with unique special combat techniques. If you have the chance to obtain one, don't miss it."

Ah Tui nodded, indicating that he would keep this in mind. After a day of training, his opinion of Bernard had changed a lot. At least this eccentric uncle was still very serious when fighting and teaching combat skills.

"Buddy, you completed the special training in combat skills in just one day. That's amazing! I almost lost my voice cheering you on." Melina gave A-Tai a big, warm hug, then looked at Bernard, who smiled like a neighborhood aunt. "Thank you, too, Mr. Bernard, for your guidance. It's time to return this dress to its rightful owner."

"No need for that. Today, I've enriched my life for the first time in a long time. It's like I've returned to my youth." Bernard waved his hand and smiled, "As a souvenir, I'll give you this cheerleading uniform. I've been running this shabby house until today, and now it's officially closed. This place filled with my memories is finally..."

"Click——"

Before Bernard could finish his words, a strong wind blew over, and the "warrior's dilapidated house" seemed to have reached the end of its life. It broke into pieces and turned into broken wooden boards on the ground. The old house was completely declared dead.

"Look, the wind is urging me to embark on a new journey. Are you interested in joining the combat teacher... Eh? Where are they?" After he finished his middle school declaration with his eyes closed, he realized that the two grown people were gone.

A hundred meters away, the two of them rode on the same horse. The sound of Torret's hooves and neighing was like thunder, mixed with Melina's farewell: "My partner and I are leaving first. Goodbye~"

Volume 1: The Journey Begins: Chapter 13: Dessert Witch

The ruins of Post Street on the north shore of Lake Yaquil.

Ah Tu casually killed the pumpkin knight in Halloween costume and looked down the corridor. "Amei, are you sure that the famous magic instructor lives here?"

Melina glanced at the map and said coquettishly, "Buddy, are you doubting me?"

"I believe you, but I doubt the accuracy of the information." Ah Tui half-crouched down, lifted the heavy stone door with both hands, and lifted it to the highest point in one breath. If it weren't for his increased strength, this thing was really beyond his ability. "Rather than calling this a magician's home, I think this is more like a prison for prisoners."

Melina bent down and walked under the stone door. "Don't you understand? Those magicians like to stay in places like ruins and relics. The more desolate the place, the more they like to go in, so as to create a sense of mystery. Look at that big, stupid guy wearing a pumpkin mask at the door. He's obviously a familiar guard summoned by the magician. Who would wear something like that in the middle of summer?"

In the darkness, a feminine stone mask appeared in front of Melina. "Little girl, you're wrong. I really don't want to stay in this godforsaken place. That stupid guard at the door isn't a servant I summoned. I don't have such bad taste."

"Ghost!!!"

The next second, Melina's scream, like silk tearing, resounded throughout the basement.

"Wow, I was so scared that I almost lost my soul... The cookies are so delicious, give me another one!" A few minutes later, the witch with tears in her eyes complained while eating the freshly baked cookies on the plate.

"Amei, please don't be like this..." Ah Tu didn't know whether she was happy or unhappy. Maybe this was the pain and happiness.

"After getting frightened, you should eat more sweets to replenish your body and calm your nerves."

"But you ate three large plates by yourself..."

"I... burp~" Melina covered her mouth and burped slightly, her pretty face slightly red. "Just eat half of it. No, food can't be wasted. Just eat another serving."

The owner of this place, a lady wearing a stone mask, waved her hand. "It's okay, it's okay. You can eat as much as you want. I was just worried about not having anyone to try the desserts I baked. I haven't had any guests in a long time, let alone rare guests like the Faded One and the Miko."