After leaving Lenne's Rise, Lucian flew down the slope in front of the tower.
Nearby was a Dragonbarrow cave that contained two talismans, both of them fairly good.
Along the road above were two hidden magic circles. Once triggered, they would summon enormous iron balls that rolled downhill to crush intruders.
Those iron balls were extremely dangerous. In the early stages of the game, being struck by one was practically fatal.
However, they could be lured off the cliff, causing them to destroy themselves and drop runes.
Because of that, the location had once been a decent early-game rune farming spot.
Back when Lucian had first started playing, he had farmed runes this way too, before later switching to several more efficient methods.
Flying through the air, he avoided triggering the traps and soon reached the Dragonbarrow Cave beneath the cliff face.
Inside this cave were two talismans:
Bull-Goat's Talisman
Flamedrake Talisman +2
Because Lucian already possessed the unique power of the Sun, granting him extremely high resistance to fire, he wanted to test whether equipping the Flamedrake Talisman could push that resistance all the way to complete fire immunity.
As for the Bull-Goat's Talisman, it was also excellent as it increased one's poise.
With higher poise, it became much harder to lose balance when struck by heavy attacks. That could prove useful in future battles.
Especially if he ever fought an opponent like Godfrey, First Elden Lord, having greater poise might make a real difference.
The enemies inside the cave weren't particularly strong.
They were all ordinary beasts commonly seen throughout the Lands Between, wolves and Lesser Runebears.
The terrain of Dragonbarrow lay higher than the surrounding lands, and the Scarlet Rot had been partially blocked by the terrain. Combined with the distance from the worst areas of contamination, the cave remained surprisingly normal.
Green vegetation could be seen everywhere.
The Scarlet Rot outside had barely intruded here, turning the cave into a refuge for animals.
The Wolves and Lesser Runebears had each claimed their own territory and largely ignored one another.
Lucian simply passed them by, heading straight toward the depths of the cave.
In one chamber with a clear water source, he found a corpse sitting cross-legged.
From the body, he obtained the Bull-Goat's Talisman.
The talisman was modeled after the horn of a great goat.
Holding it in his hand, Lucian could feel a heavy, reassuring strength emanating from it.
Bull-Goats were creatures native to the Lands Between, massive in size and extremely rare.
Yet the species was famous because of a certain knight:
"Great Horned" Tragoth, a warrior known for his enormous strength and unyielding courage.
Tragoth was widely known across the Lands Between for his kindness.
Countless Tarnished had received his help.
In a sense, he was much like the legendary Sunlight Knight or the Jovial Onion Knight, a reliable elder brother figure.
Lucian had once fought alongside Tragoth during the Festival of Combat, and he had developed a favorable impression of him.
After putting away the talisman, Lucian decided to collect the other one in the cave before deciding which to equip.
At the very deepest part of the cave, two Beastmen of Farum Azula served as its masters.
When Crumbling Farum Azula began to collapse, many beastmen and fragments of the city's structures had fallen into the Lands Between, barely surviving wherever they landed.
Long ago, beasts had symbolized civilization itself, possessing great intelligence.
But once separated from their society and left to wander aimlessly in the Lands Between, the beastmen had changed.
Without civilization, intelligence gradually faded.
They reverted to their original instincts.
The two beastmen standing before Lucian were now almost indistinguishable from ordinary beasts.
Their former wisdom had vanished completely.
Only their unusual forms remained, standing upright on two legs, wielding weapons.
As for their strength… there was little worth praising.
They were no more than minor enemies.
Lucian casually knocked both of them down with two punches.
The terrified creatures scrambled to the edge of the cave, trembling in fear.
Lucian retrieved the second talisman located there, the Flamedrake Talisman +2 and then left the cave.
This was one of the few places untouched by Scarlet Rot.
It was better to let the animals continue living here peacefully.
Sitting on a massive tree root that jutted out over the sea cliff, Lucian began testing the two new talismans.
He currently possessed three talisman pouches.
Inside them were:
Radagon's Scarseal
Winged Sword Insignia
Erdtree's Favor
Lucian removed the latter two and replaced them with the newly obtained talismans.
Soon, the talisman pouches began to pulse, transmitting the power of the talismans into Lucian's body.
After sensing the results, Lucian shook his head.
The Flamedrake Talisman +2 had essentially no effect on him.
With Lucian's own fire resistance already sitting somewhere around 80–90% thanks to the Sun's blessing, the talisman's bonus was completely overshadowed.
Achieving true fire immunity still seemed quite far away.
Lucian silently removed the Flamedrake Talisman +2.
The Bull-Goat's Talisman, however, worked perfectly.
He could clearly feel a heavy strength settling within his body.
Combined with certain applications of gravity magic, it might allow him to remain almost completely unshaken by enemy attacks.
And if he combined that with Ironjar Aromatic, perhaps he could one day engage Godfrey in a direct head-on battle.
After thinking about it, Lucian removed the Bull-Goat's Talisman as well.
There was no immediate need for it.
He could equip it later when necessary.
Instead, he placed the Legendary Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom, the one Millicent had given him into the pouch.
That talisman granted +5 Dexterity, which was quite useful.
In another pouch, Lucian placed Erdtree's Favor back where it had been.
Later, once he reached the Divine Tower of Liurnia and obtained the Stargazer Heirloom, he could swap to that instead.
As for Radagon's Scarseal, Lucian still had no intention of removing it.
Stats were everything.
As long as every stat was pushed high enough, he would be invincible.
The talisman still granted excellent bonuses, and its drawback increasing the damage he took, wasn't much of a concern for Lucian.
After finishing his equipment adjustments, Lucian began thinking about whether there was anything else he needed to do in Caelid.
During the days before Melina's rebirth was complete, he found himself strangely unwilling to seek out battles with demigods.
Instead, he planned to investigate the area around Sellia, Town of Sorcery, searching for the so-called "Sage" Gowry and information about Millicent's four sisters.
In the Lands Between, however, the title "Sage" was not a flattering one.
So-called sages were considered heretical scholars, and the crimson robes of a sage symbolized someone who had been banished from civilization.
But just then—
The Moonlight mark on Lucian's body suddenly lit up.
Ranni's voice echoed in his ear.
"Come thou unto the Grand Library."
"She draweth nigh unto waking."
Lucian instantly straightened.
Using a Site of Grace, he teleported to the Grand Library of Raya Lucaria.
Rarely seen standing on the ground, Ranni was now standing before Rennala and the Amber Egg, silently observing Melina within.
Melina was already showing signs of movement.
Her limbs trembled slightly, like someone on the verge of waking from a deep dream.
Seeing that Lucian had arrived, Ranni turned and gave him a small nod.
"So thou art come. In that case… I shall take my leave."
She could already imagine what the reunion would look like.
If she stayed here to witness it… it would feel rather awkward.
So after speaking, Ranni disappeared from the Grand Library.
Lucian stepped forward to stand before Rennala, gazing at Melina within the Amber Egg in her arms.
Slowly, he placed his hand on the surface of the egg.
At last…
The day had finally come.
After being reborn, Melina would possess a physical body, she would truly receive a second life.
They could finally travel together for real, rather than forcing her to remain beside him as a spirit.
And now that Lucian had gained the power of the Sun, he could already see the phantom of flame within himself.
Which meant Melina no longer needed to burn herself.
They would not need to measure their love through the pain of life-and-death separation.
Lucian silently watched Melina's face.
Even though the amber shell blurred her appearance, he could still clearly "see" her.
After all, her image had long been engraved in his heart.
At that moment—
Melina's eyelashes trembled.
Then she slowly opened her right eye, meeting Lucian's gaze.
When she saw him waiting before the Amber Egg, a smile of pure happiness spread across her face.
At that moment, Melina felt certain she must be the happiest girl in the Lands Between.
She raised her hand and pressed it against the outer shell of the Amber Egg, aligning it with Lucian's hand.
The once-solid shell began to grow increasingly transparent, gradually fading as if it had never existed.
Melina's hand passed through the surface of the egg.
Their fingers intertwined tightly.
She climbed out of the Amber Egg and threw herself into Lucian's arms, hugging him tightly.
Holding the soaking-wet Melina, Lucian could clearly feel her breathing.
And the beating of her heart.
Melina had truly become human.
No words were necessary between them.
They simply held each other.
After a while, Lucian retrieved a set of clothes he had long prepared for her from his storage and draped a brand-new cloak over her shoulders.
Then he quietly turned his head away.
Well…
How should he put it…
It might sound a bit indecent, but...
This was simply a normal physiological reaction.
"Let's go," he said softly.
"Let's go home."
Melina's face flushed slightly as she nodded.
"Mm."
Wrapped in the cloak and carrying her clothes, Melina moved behind a bookshelf.
The joyful smile on her face slowly faded, replaced by confusion and hesitation.
She bit her lip, her thoughts in disarray.
Her lost memories were returning.
While she slept within the Amber Egg, those memories had surged back like a tide.
The truths they revealed were difficult even for her to accept.
She was a hidden demigod, a child of Queen Marika whose existence had been concealed.
Marika… was her mother.
And she even had a brother.
Melina had not only discovered her own origins...
She had also learned the mission she carried.
Before this, Melina had always known that she carried an important mission upon her shoulders. Yet what that mission truly was, she had never been able to understand.
Originally, Melina should have needed to return to the Royal Capital at the foot of the Erdtree in order to recover her purpose there. But now, the moment her memories resurfaced, that mission had also emerged together with them.
She possessed a soul capable of seeing the phantom image of flame, an essential qualification for becoming kindling.
When the day came that everything could no longer be salvaged, Melina would turn herself into that kindling and burn the Erdtree.
To prepare for that day, she had been secretly raised by Queen Marika, trained in every skill she might possibly need.
Whether it was the method of transforming Runes into the power of the body, the techniques for drawing maps and crafting Sacred Flasks, or even the combat arts belonging to the same school as the Black Knife Assassins…
A mission so heavy inevitably corrodes the one who bears it, like a curse from which there is no escape.
All of this had been arranged long ago.
Yet in truth, Melina did not resist it.
This was her mission, the meaning of her existence.
To burn the Erdtree was an act of unforgivable treason to the Golden Order's empire, yet it was also the mission personally bestowed upon her by her mother, Queen Marika herself.
Afterward, the Order would be rebuilt anew.
And yet, even though she had finally recovered the mission she had been searching for all along, Melina felt a profound fear and confusion welling up from deep within her heart.
Compared with the long memories of her previous life, the period she had spent without memories, existing only as a wandering soul had been extremely short.
But it had also been the happiest time in her entire life.
She had already fallen in love with Lucian.
Was she truly going to burn all of this away with her own hands—reducing love, hatred, and every bond between them to ash?
Yet if things truly followed the path described by her mission, then perhaps only in this way could Lucian become Elden Lord…
If that was the case, then there was nothing left to hesitate about.
Though she felt reluctance and sorrow, if it was for Lucian, then the reason she wished to fulfill this mission had already become something entirely unrelated to her mother's expectations.
At last, Melina understood why the maiden they had once encountered near Caelid had searched for kindling and attempted to burn herself.
Melina let out a faint sigh.
Fortunately, she likely still had plenty of time left to create more memories together with him.
She put on her clothes.
The outfit was exactly the same as the one she had worn while in her spirit form.
Surprisingly, it fit quite well.
This style of clothing was fairly common across the Lands Between, so Boc had not found it particularly difficult to craft. On the contrary, the workmanship was exceptionally fine.
And because Lucian had personally asked Boc to make it, the demihuman tailor had poured all of his skill into the task.
The sensation of real cloth brushing against her newly restored body filled Melina with wonder.
It had been a very long time since she had experienced such a feeling.
After putting on her outer cloak, Melina slowly opened her eyes and looked down at her palm, which was marked with scars of old burns.
Although she had regained many of her memories, she still had no idea why the body of her previous life had been burned.
The memories she had recovered this time were still incomplete. Many crucial pieces were still missing.
'…Hm?'
Only then did Melina realize that her tightly shut left eye had somehow opened on its own.
She was instantly shocked.
The seal on her left eye had been placed there personally by her mother, containing a special power.
As far as Melina knew, that seal would only break under extremely rare circumstances, granting her its strength.
No matter how one looked at it, this was not the moment when the seal should have been released.
She hurriedly closed her left eye again. After waiting a while, she cautiously opened it halfway.
The moment it opened slightly, she shut it again.
After confirming it several times over, Melina finally accepted the fact.
The seal on her left eye had indeed been broken.
"...This…"
Melina looked around to make sure there was no possibility of Lucian seeing her.
Only then did she raise her hand and ignite a flame within her palm.
A flame of black and white.
She stared at it in confusion.
She had seen Lucian use this flame before, and she had also heard him explain its origins.
This was the Black Flame once wielded by the Gloam-Eyed Queen, the ruler who had led the Godskin Apostles.
In ancient times, Black Flame had carried within it the power of Destined Death. With that power, they had hunted gods themselves.
But after Destined Death was sealed away, the Black Flame lost its ability to slay the divine.
Melina gently bit her lip, deeply puzzled.
Why would such a power be sealed within her body?
If it were merely Black Flame, was there really any need for such a careful and thorough seal?
…Forget it. She could not find the answer.
At the very least, the seal had now been lifted, allowing her to use some of that power. In the future, perhaps she could help Lucian as well.
With the power of Black Flame combined with her newly reconstructed body, formed from two Larval Tears, Melina's strength was now astonishing.
Aside from lacking real combat experience and being somewhat unskilled in battle, her raw power would not be inferior to the Shardbearer lords who fought each other to the death across the Lands Between.
Lucian stood quietly in the center of the Grand Library of Raya Lucaria, waiting for Melina to finish getting dressed.
When she finally stepped out from behind the bookshelves wearing her traveling outfit, Lucian's eyes lit up immediately.
Although the clothes were exactly the same as when she had been a spirit, the feeling they gave off was completely different now.
Lucian walked up to her with a smile.
"How is it? Does it fit?"
Melina nodded and spun around once in front of him.
As she turned, the hem of her skirt fluttered outward like a blooming flower.
"Some parts are just a tiny bit off, but we can adjust them later."
"To be able to make it like this right away is already amazing."
"Boc's craftsmanship has improved quite a lot. It seems he's been practicing all this time just to sew clothes for you."
Lucian nodded.
In order to hone his skills, Boc had been helping the residents of Stormveil Castle mend and sew clothing.
Now he was already quite a famous tailor within Stormveil.
Lucian suddenly felt a little sentimental.
During their travels, Melina had always accompanied him in spirit form. She knew every person they met along the road.
Yet none of those people had ever known she existed.
But once they returned to Stormveil, they would all meet her properly.
"Let's go," Lucian said.
"Back to Stormveil."
Melina nodded, but she did not leave immediately.
Instead, she walked up to Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, and bowed deeply in gratitude.
Melina could roughly guess the reason why her memories had returned, and why the seal upon her body had been lifted.
Rennala had used secret sorcery to reconstruct her body, and silently done many things for her in the process.
Regardless of whether the heartless Rennala had done so out of conscious will, the fact remained that she had helped her.
In a sense, she had become Melina's second mother.
Once, Melina had wondered what the relationship between an ordinary mother and an ordinary child might be like.
Now, she felt she had finally found part of that answer.
Rennala sat there quietly, holding the Amber Egg in her arms, her eyes closed as though she were asleep, a gentle smile resting on her lips.
"Sweet child… thou art reborn, whole and proper."
—
[T/N: Sunlight Knight is a fictional character and cosmetic skin inspired by Solaire of Astora, a beloved NPC from the 2011 video game Dark Souls. The name "Sunlight Knight" is most prominently associated with a cosmetic garb (skin) in Elden Ring: Nightreign, a standalone expansion that allows players to customize their Guardian Nightfarer with themed appearances. This skin is based on Solaire's iconic look, including his sun emblem and armor design, and is available for purchase at the Roundtable Hold for 7,500 or via the Collector Signboard for 5 Sovereign Sigils after defeating the final Nightlord.
Jovial Onion Knights refer to the Knights of Catarina from the Dark Souls series, known for their distinctive onion-shaped armor and cheerful, adventurous personalities. The term "onion knight" is a fan-given nickname due to their unique helmet design, which resembles an onion. ]