Bai Shi looked at the items before him, very satisfied.
Sacred Tears and Flasks were items one could never have too many of.
The amount of Runes seemed to be less than last time.
He guessed they had nearly exhausted their reserves last time and hadn't had a chance to replenish them yet.
It was a bit of a pity, but a little less didn't matter.
During this expedition against Godrick, Bai Shi had already made a huge profit using the 5x Rune acquisition multiplier.
While it was active, Bai Shi also crushed a few Golden Runes to test it out.
He confirmed that crushing Runes during the 5x multiplier period also received the 5x bonus.
Thinking back now, directly crushing 260,000 Runes back then was a bit of a waste.
But Bai Shi didn't regret it. At that time, he hadn't tested whether crushed Runes were included in the 5x multiplier.If they didn't get the 5x bonus, it would have been equivalent to wasting a life-saving opportunity.
But what was the meaning behind the Two Fingers giving him so many Rune Arcs?
Bai Shi hadn't used any of his previous Rune Arcs.
Mainly because he had forgotten such an item existed.
In the game, without a Great Rune, using a Rune Arc only added a bit to the health bar.
Situations where one would use a Rune Arc by itself were very rare; they were mostly used to activate the effects of a Great Rune.
Even in the game, Bai Shi was reluctant to use Rune Arcs, but the good thing was that one would last until you died.
"Wait!"
Bai Shi suddenly realized something seemed off.
The fact that a Rune Arc's activation of a Great Rune lasted until death was just a game mechanic.
In this world, there was no resurrection at all, so the function of a Rune Arc should be vastly different from in the game.
Besides, if a single Rune Arc could power a Great Rune until death, it might as well be renamed "Endless Energy Source."
A Rune Arc was just a tiny fragment from when the Elden Ring shattered.
"Your Grace, the Two Fingers, what is the purpose of these Rune Arcs?"
The Two Fingers were right in front of him, after all. Since They had given him so many Rune Arcs, they must have some purpose.
Asking when you didn't know was an excellent quality.
The Two Fingers trembled, wiggling their digits.
Enia carefully interpreted the fingers, then turned to Bai Shi with a helpless expression.
"The Two Fingers say: Great Runes represent the truth of the world, and Rune Arcs are closely related to them."
"All the answers lie atop the Divine Tower. Go there."
"It seems the Two Fingers are unwilling to tell you for now."
His fists hardened.
Bai Shi took a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself.
"Seriously? I'm standing right here, can't you just tell me directly?"
"Couldn't you explain it first before sending me to the Divine Tower?"
"Riddlers, get out of the Lands Between!"
However, Bai Shi still wore a friendly smile on his face.
He had no choice. Even if the Two Fingers were riddlers—and literally "non-human-speaking" riddlers at that—They were still his patrons right now.
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Grace. I will proceed to the Divine Tower to investigate."
The Two Fingers trembled once more.
"The Two Fingers say: You now possess one Great Rune, but you must not be satisfied with the current situation."
"From now on, aim to acquire more Great Runes."
Bai Shi, with a smile, respectfully bowed.
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Grace."
Smiling, Enia took out a talisman pouch from beside her and handed it to Bai Shi.
"Don't underestimate the other demigods just because you've acquired one Great Rune. Be careful in the future."
"This is a small gift from me. I wish you success in becoming the Elden Lord."
--
The heavy doors opened once again.
The Tarnished outside all turned their gazes toward him.
After a period of waiting, the number of Tarnished had not decreased in the slightest.
On the contrary, through word of mouth, more and more Tarnished had gathered here.
Bai Shi walked out slowly from the Two Fingers' chamber, stood on the steps before the door, and looked down upon the Tarnished before him.
Seeing the numerous Tarnished gathered at the entrance to the Two Fingers' chamber, Bai Shi was slightly surprised.
It seemed the impact of him defeating Godrick and claiming a Great Rune among the Tarnished was far greater than he had anticipated.
He hadn't expected these Tarnished to be waiting outside, but this was perfect. It made it convenient for Bai Shi to make his announcement.
It was still a bit noisy below, so Bai Shi waved his hand to the Tarnished.
Following his gesture, the murmurs completely ceased. All eyes converged on Bai Shi. The now-silent Tarnished seemed to sense that something momentous was about to happen.
Bai Shi stood tall, his gaze firm and confident, and spoke to the Tarnished below the steps in a powerful, resonant voice:
"You have all gathered here, presumably because you've heard some news."
"That a Tarnished has defeated Godrick and claimed a Great Rune."
"That's right. It was me."
Below, the Tarnished's breaths caught in their throats.
Hearing Bai Shi say it himself had a completely different effect than an envoy's declaration.
Bai Shi continued his proclamation:
"Under the witness of the Two Fingers, I have been crowned the Lord of Stormveil."
"Godrick the Grafted is no more. From this day forward, on the lands of Limgrave, the Tarnished shall pass unimpeded."
"Stormveil and Castle Morne will be open to the Tarnished and all other races."
"I will bring order and peace to these lands."
"You can join me and become the sword that protects others."
"Or you can seek refuge, and I will protect you all equally."
The Tarnished's eyes widened. What incredible boldness and confidence.
In the fractured Lands Between, he was audacious enough to desire peace?
Such a vision was captivating. Could it truly be realized?
The Tarnished didn't know, but they yearned for it immensely.
The ultimate goal of mending the Elden Ring was, of course, to restore order to the Lands Between. That was why they were all here.
These few short sentences filled the Tarnished with immense excitement. They felt they were witnessing history in the making.
Bai Shi's tone shifted.
"Whether you join or seek sanctuary, I welcome you all."
"But if you choose to be my enemy, all that awaits you is execution at my own hands."
"This peace will be protected by my sword."
The Tarnished clenched their fists and erupted in thunderous cheers.
In Bai Shi, they saw the brilliant light of "hope."
At that moment, in the eyes of the Tarnished, Bai Shi had become the leader who would guide them into the future.
--
Bai Shi stood before Gideon Ofnir.
Ever since his declaration to the Tarnished at the Two Fingers' chamber, their cheers had echoed throughout the Roundtable Hold.
This was what had disturbed Gideon.
Gideon quickly sent Ensha to contact Bai Shi.
Gideon looked Bai Shi up and down, sizing up his attire.
"Hmm... You've truly claimed a Great Rune. Impressive indeed."
"Nepheli greatly admires you. She praised you as the strongest warrior she's ever seen, and a man of noble character."
"It seems that is indeed the case. Your vision of a city of ideals is proof enough."
"But as a partner in cooperation, this is the first I'm hearing of such a plan."
Gideon's words held a hint of displeasure.
Bai Shi naturally knew that Gideon was displeased with his speech at the Roundtable. It was tantamount to poaching his people right in front of him.
After all, the intended outcome of their cooperation was for Bai Shi to gain a status nominally on par with Gideon, while in reality, the two were partners.
Gideon's original plan was flawless. Even letting Bai Shi obtain the Great Rune and become the Lord of Stormveil wouldn't have much of an impact on him.
If things had gone according to plan, Bai Shi would have defeated Godrick with Gideon's help and then become an ordinary Lord of Stormveil.
Because Gideon would have also contributed significantly, the publicity would have only allowed Bai Shi to barely stand on equal footing with him.
At the Roundtable Hold, he would only have a voice, not leadership.
But Bai Shi's performance had been too brilliant, rendering Gideon's arranged assistance all but unnecessary.
Especially that one sword strike that pierced heaven and earth. Bai Shi's influence had grown completely beyond his control.
And his latest declaration had truly won him leadership over many of the Tarnished in the Roundtable Hold.
What's more, Bai Shi's plan would allow him to recruit an extremely large number of Tarnished who could not see the guidance of grace.
And this was something Gideon could not tolerate.
Because the Roundtable Hold was Gideon's power base, his primary source for recruiting personnel and gathering intelligence.
Bai Shi's reaction was calm.
He knew this would happen when he made his public declaration.
But so what?
Gideon was still the same Gideon, but Bai Shi was no longer who he used to be.
A status equal to yours is not something you need to give me. I can take it myself.
Bai Shi had never intended to follow Gideon's script and play along forever.
If he had truly followed Gideon's plan, Gideon would have undoubtedly been the one to profit more behind the scenes.
This man had always been a potential threat.
If there was a chance to disrupt his plans, Bai Shi would definitely take it.
Defeat Godrick, become Lord of Stormveil.
And after becoming Lord of Stormveil, why should he continue playing house with him at the Roundtable?
The Two Fingers believed the Roundtable needed a more proactive leader.
Coincidentally, Bai Shi thought so too.
"Though we are comrades, it doesn't mean we need to know every single detail about each other."
"This has no impact on you, either. The Roundtable and the city I envision are not hostile to each other. It's just one more gathering place."
"Besides, haven't you been acting in the shadows as well, Gideon."
"We are just doing the same thing."
Bai Shi met Gideon's gaze, his face expressionless.
Bai Shi knew that Gideon's men had looted many things after instigating the chaos in Stormveil.
Gideon's expression was hidden under his helmet, but Bai Shi imagined it must be quite a sight.
Gideon had truly been outmaneuvered this time.
The main reason was that no one could have imagined Bai Shi would want to establish such a city of ideals in the Lands Between.
This was extremely appealing to the majority of the Tarnished.
And there was nothing Gideon could say about it.
As the Lord of Stormveil, Bai Shi was well within his rights to do so.
"You're right."
"You have done what was required by our cooperation. I should not interfere in other matters."
"Besides, it doesn't seem like you made this decision on the Two Fingers' orders. They wouldn't care about such things."
Gideon was a cunning old fox, as expected.
Just moments ago, there was a hint of displeasure, but now there was no trace of it.
"So, shall we discuss our next collaboration?"
Bai Shi raised an eyebrow.
He had already anticipated that Gideon would demand compensation.
If Gideon had actually demanded it, Bai Shi would have flatly refused him.
"Please, go ahead."
"I want the books and documents stored in Stormveil. In exchange, I can provide intelligence or secret arts that only I possess."
"Alright, that's reasonable."
Bai Shi thought for a moment and agreed.
Now was not the time to completely break ties with Gideon.
Besides, the cooperation was fair, and the benefits for Bai Shi were not insignificant either.
Books were also among Gideon's looting targets. More than half of the books and documents in the library had disappeared.
And even though Bai Shi had carved away some of Gideon's leadership, Gideon didn't try to restrict him in this regard.
Judging from these two points, if Gideon still wanted to use cooperation to trade for books...
Did it mean that the remaining books contained something he needed?
Perhaps he could find some clues from them. As for the intelligence and secret arts, those were secondary.
Gathering more intelligence on Gideon would be more advantageous when dealing with him in the future.
Otherwise, Gideon would always be a potential threat lurking in the shadows.
"Then it's settled. I hope our cooperation can continue in the future, comrade."
"It certainly will."
The cooperation had long since fractured. What remained was merely a surface-level cordiality, a fact both of them knew well.
Perhaps the next time they met, they would cross blades.
But harboring their own agendas, both wanted to extract more favorable conditions from the other in the end.
--
Bai Shi entered the space of grace.
Seeing Bai Shi return, Melina immediately came forward to greet him.
"How did it go? What was Gideon's attitude?"
Bai Shi had discussed with Melina long beforehand what he planned to do at the Roundtable Hold today.
Bai Shi shook his head.
"Gideon is too cunning. Even when I made that declaration right in front of him, he only mentioned it in passing."
"But it wasn't without its gains."
"The response from the Tarnished was very strong."
"And Gideon places great importance on the remaining books and documents in Stormveil. He even proposed another collaboration."
"Perhaps we can use this to find some information."
"I'm very curious about what Gideon's true objective is."
But Melina was not optimistic. She didn't think it would be so easy to uncover Gideon's goal.
"This could just be a trap to mislead you."
"If Gideon is truly worthy of his title, he wouldn't have overlooked this."
"If there was something he needed among the remaining books, why wouldn't he have looted it from the very beginning?"
"Even if his men missed it, why is he so certain the information he's looking for is in Stormveil?"
Bai Shi thought about it. It seemed that was indeed the case.
Whether the remaining books and documents were what he needed or not, he certainly knew exactly what books were there.
"Sigh, people who lurk in the shadows are so hard to deal with..."
"Let's not worry about it for now. The Two Fingers just rewarded us with a lot of things. Let's take a look."
Bai Shi laid out all the items rewarded by the Two Fingers on the round table.
Flasks, Sacred Tears, a Talisman Pouch, Runes, Rune Arcs...
Such bountiful rewards made even Melina break into a smile.
"Perfect. You haven't used the Runes from defeating Godrick yet."
"Let's use them all today for strengthening."