The cold scent of wolf blood permeated the air, and the charred smell of Glintstone magic and dust still clung to the corpses of the Direwolves.
Guilliman retracted his greatsword, the last drop of viscous blood falling from its tip to the ground with a soft thud, breaking the silence.
The silver-armored knight had also sheathed her sword. Her breathing was a little ragged, indicating the intensity of the recent battle, but the gaze beneath her helmet remained sharp, warily sweeping over Guilliman's imposing figure and the ominous greatsword in his hand.
She didn't immediately respond to Guilliman's greeting, her eyes quickly darting between Melina and this suddenly appearing "Witcher."
"Yes, we meet again."
Melina's clear, cold voice rang out. She took half a step closer to the Witcher, her calm, single eye fixed on Guilliman, her gaze seemingly able to penetrate his outward composure.
"Your strength... it seems to have grown considerably since we last met."
"Circumstances forced it, pushing one to improve, Lady Melina."
Guilliman smiled faintly, not elaborating on the source of his power. He shook off the remaining bloodstains from his sword and once again met the knight's gaze openly.
"As I said, Guilliman. A Witcher from another world."
"Please rest assured, I am no enemy. It's just not easy to find people capable of rational conversation on this continent."
"So I wanted to get to know you."
Melina nodded slightly, implicitly acknowledging this connection:
"This is Fionna, a Tarnished also seeking the Elden Ring."
She didn't delve into Fionna's background, only emphasizing their shared goal.
Fionna then spoke, her clear, cold voice coming from beneath her helmet, carrying a hint of caution but no overt hostility:
"I am Fionna. Thank you for your timely assistance, Lord Guilliman."
"Without your greatsword, that last strike would have been difficult to escape unscathed."
Her words paused, as if she was still evaluating Guilliman's intentions.
In truth, these were the knight's humble words. After approaching Fionna, Guilliman could more clearly sense the knight's power; in both swordsmanship and magic, she was far beyond ordinary people. And the aura she exuded was definitely that of someone who had experienced countless battles.
He suspected that even if he hadn't intervened earlier, that white wolf king wouldn't have been able to harm the knight.
Guilliman let out a hearty chuckle.
"Alright, since we've been introduced, I'll be direct."
His tone suddenly became serious, the gentle smile fading, revealing an iron-like resolve. He surveyed the decaying yet infinitely powerful land, his gaze finally resting on Melina's unique eyes.
"Melina, our last conversation was too brief."
"You asked me my purpose in this world, and I said it was for power and wealth."
"Later, I spent some time here and also learned some of the inner workings of this world."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable force.
"This time, I've also brought some friends from my original world, and they will be my aid."
"And soon, I will continuously bring the power of my world—my warriors, my mages, my craftsmen—here."
"However, I am not some evil person. I hope to find allies on this land who share my goals, and I will also protect the weak who need refuge."
"In my own world, I am also a person favored by the gods, capable of commanding tens of thousands to obey and serve me."
"Your world?"
Melina's single eye narrowed slightly, a clear flicker of astonishment crossing her pupil for the first time.
She knew Guilliman was from another world, but she had never imagined he would bring a force from another dimension to invade the Lands Between.
Fionna's body also trembled slightly, and a very soft gasp came from beneath her helmet.
A powerful warrior from another world was one thing; an army from another world was entirely another.
"Yes."
Guilliman affirmed without hesitation.
"After careful consideration, my goal in this world has changed."
"Rather than struggling to survive alone in this wilderness, it's better to establish a core of order and power from the very beginning."
"I am not a blind plunderer. I am a strong one who brings order and conquest."
He paused slightly, as if to let each word land heavily on this ancient land:
"And this is just a beginning. My gaze has always been fixed on that ultimate pinnacle. The Golden Order is already shattered, Marika's promise is like a flickering candle in the wind."
"This unclaimed land needs a new, stronger King."
"I, Guilliman, along with my power, will embark on the path to kingship. To become—the Elden Lord."
These words echoed clearly in the wilderness, carrying undeniable ambition and resolve.
Melina watched Guilliman for a long time, profound emotions seemingly brewing in her eyes.
As a witch burdened with a special mission, she was shocked by Guilliman's plan as an otherworldly visitor, assessing his strength and hidden threat.
Perhaps there was also a sense of bewilderment brought about by an unforeseen variable in her own mission.
Finally, all emotions seemed to coalesce into a vague, unreadable micro-expression, like a slight twitch of her lips, and she said in a ethereal voice:
"...To become the Elden Lord."
She repeated softly, her voice ethereal.
"That is a thorny path paved with corpses and curses, forged with the blood and tears of gods and the shattered fragments of demigods."
"Countless powerful beings have fallen upon it. Are you, and your... warriors from the other realm, prepared to taste this heavy burden?"
"Are you prepared to face suffering and challenges beyond mortal comprehension?"
"Heavy burden? Challenges?"
Guilliman let out an even more cheerful and confident laugh, as if with a metallic friction.
"Melina, I never fear challenges, nor do I fear gods."
He no longer explained, his gaze turning to the massive corpse of the wolf king and the other slain monsters.
Although he had plenty of food in his storage space, this time he wasn't alone. To establish a stable camp here, there had to be a source of food and water.
Fortunately, he had already tried it last time; some of the beasts in the Lands Between were edible, nutritious, and tasted good, so there was no need to worry about food sources.
As for weapons and equipment, there was even less to worry about.
To some extent, the weapons and equipment in the Lands Between were far stronger than those in the Witcher world. Once the Witchers and the two high vampires he brought were armed, their strength could even multiply several times over.
"Fionna, Melina."
"Give it some thought. Perhaps in the future, we can help each other and become allies."
"But for now, I need to bring my friends over."
"While it's not dark yet, there's still a lot to do."
Guilliman said no more. With a flick of his wrist, a thick book of peculiar material, emitting faint spatial fluctuations, appeared in his hand.
The cover seemed to be made of some dark wood, smooth as a mirror, its edges bound with strange metal that was neither gold nor iron. A fairytale-like glow flowed across its surface, yet subtly revealed a sense of spatial dislocation—it was precisely that tattered yet precious fairytale world magic book.
Fionna and Melina's gazes were instantly drawn to it.
A hint of understanding and solemnity flashed in Melina's single eye, confirming some of her previous conjectures.
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