Unlike in the game of Elden Ring, there was no screen or whatever to enlighten me as to my stats. No, instead there were two 'stats' that Melina could put the runes towards. Body, which included Vigor, Endurance, Dexterity, and Strength. On the other end in Mind, which included Mind as in my mana stores, Faith, Intelligence, and Arcane.
So in essence, she could level up/enhance my body or my mind one or the other. There was no game mechanics in this world.
And with my mana already being more than strong enough. I just had her channel all the runes I had from killing Godrick, the Tree Sentinel, and the other beings I came across into reinforcing my physical body.
"Hmm, this is interesting," I muttered clenching my free hand into a fist as I flexed and found out that I could wield my sword Virtous Contract even easier as it felt much lighter in my hands.
"So now what do you plan to do?" Melina asked with some interest and I made a humming noise before I looked over at Melina.
I had a couple of options and a lot of things I could actually do. But in reality, I wasn't going to be doing a 100 percent run of Elden Ring... Hell, I knew this world was utterly broken and I had no interest in trying to fix it completely as out of the population of millions of life forms probably in this world... Like a good couple hundred of them were even remotely sane at all.
I answered with a sigh as I looked down from the Erd Tree we were perched down upon. "Well... Let's get going to the Lakes of Liurina, we are going to pay a visit to Rennala first." I spoke.
'Oh, dear gods... I am literally going to pull another drunk booty call like I did with Salem as I try to fix a mentally broken milf. God dammit what is this life.' I thought humorously as I pulled Melina a bit closer the large boulder I tucked into the corner of the branches of the Erd Tree flew over and the three of us hopped onto it.
But as we flew from the lesser Erd Tree on the southwestern part of the Lakes of Liurina I asked Melina a question I had. "Can you get us into the Round Table Hold?"
Melina's hooded form looked over at me with undisguised interest before humming and saying. "Yes, I can. But neither of you are Tarnished so I could only bring you guys there once. As Sir Gideon Ofnir wouldn't want non-tarnished within their sacred hiding place and he will seal the location from our arrival."
There was a moment of silence before I spoke utterly bluntly. "I only need to go there once... As Fia the Deathbed Companion is there and I want her Great Shard of the Elden Ring."
Melina gave me a long look before she almost demanded as she looked almost frustrated. "And how do you know she is there? Nay the real question is who you two are? As such a sorcerer of your caliber would be well known, especially as a mortal. To say nothing of the automaton beside you who has her own soul."
Instead of myself answering, it was A2 who snapped back. "We aren't even from this world to begin with. Just as you seemingly don't give a damn about who becomes this Elden Lord, Jake doesn't have any interest in becoming the Elden Lord either."
Well becoming the lord of this hellhole was one reason to deny being Elden Lord. But in reality, I mostly just didn't want to become the slave of the Golden Order or whatever. Let this world fade into the goodnight like the world of Dark Souls did in the end.
But to assuage Melina who looked pensive I said. "The Golden Order is broken so I don't want to become Elden Lord. But as for how I know all this stuff... It really is complicated and won't make you feel any better. Just know that I am hoping to set this world on a better track as I get the demi-gods out of here and once the remains of their actions fade with time. This world can heal."
Well... If this world can heal at all with the Flame of Frenzy sealed down under the capital anyway.
Melina was seemingly mollified as we headed over the actual marshland lakes of Liurina as we flew directly towards Raya Lucaria where Rennala was being held against her will.
'Huh. So the barriers don't actually go up this high.' I thought with amusement as we just flew up and over the barriers surrounding the magic school and I took in the decrepit Hogwarts-like school that was built into several solitary mountains that made it tower over the massive lakes and marshlands surrounding the school.
"This place is teeming with Eldritch energies like Maso," A2 muttered and I hummed as A2 added on. "You should probably tell White about this place Jake. As this place is steeped in so much energy from the stars that our Maso generators can be used here."
But as we floated over to the tallest tower of the Hogwarts-style magical castle mixed in with a lot of gothic elements I told Melina and A2. "Alright, I am going in to try to bring Rennala's sanity back..." As I was about to tell A2 and Melina to keep watch and keep the people from Raya Lucaria from interfering as god knows how this was going to go.
I watched Melina silently fade into a mist disappearing.
"Alrighty then! A2 you kill anyone or anything that comes up from that lift. I am going in." I said with my face twitching at Melina's disappearing act.
I had a demi-goddess/actual goddess to un-mindfuck into sanity... And if I was lucky maybe I could actually gain something from this beyond getting Ranni to like me somewhat as I unfuck her family from the all bullshit that happened.
Next 15 chapters are on Patreon and Ko-fi
Hey if you like this and want daily uploads and to read early chapters please drop a tip in my Ko-Fi https://ko-fi.com/azazyel22926 or https://www.pat-reon.com/Azazyel and your precious energy stones, it keeps me working on it.
My commission rate is 15$ per thousand words.