Elden Ring: The Shattering!

Half a month later, in the inner city of Carian.

Kaelith, with a large stack of books, looked up. His gaze crossed over the grand door of the Magic Tower and out to the scene beyond.

Today, the fog had cleared somewhat, and the green grass, along with the light blue small flowers, swayed gently in the breeze. From a distance, it resembled a ruined architectural flower room, as if it hadn't been tended to for a long time, perhaps on the verge of collapse soon.

Large patches of Glintstone crystals lay around, and faintly, one could see a Glintstone Dragon curled up on the ground, snoring. Behind it stood another tall tower.

"Indeed, whatever the master is like, that's what the 'pet' will be like." Kaelith yawned, closed the book titled "Glintstone Application Theory," then placed his feet on the table, leaning back in his chair to take a nap.

This was the most central area of Carian Royal Fort—the Three Sisters Tower. Kaelith hadn't seen Ranni, the knight guarding the tower, for several days.

The sorceress girl, who had sealed herself in the Sorcerer Tower, seemed to be doing something inside. Remembering the scene at the Moon Pool, an image flashed in his mind.

Ranni sat high on a chair, her head buried, and the faint sound of snoring could be heard.

The Erdtree remained radiant, and the full moon rose as usual. Aside from occasionally running into the hurried Half-Wolf, Kaelith rarely interacted with others. However, these days, his routine had become richer.

He practiced swordsmanship in the early morning, integrating many different skills from The Lands Between into his personal style.

In the afternoon, he read books, learning Magic through systematic theory, then after dinner, he took strolls around the city, always going to bed promptly by 9 o'clock.

"If Cuckoo isn't coming, even I have turned into a model student," Kaelith mused, holding a pen in his mouth, staring at the ceiling. After a while, he decided to take a short break and step outside temporarily. He had plenty of time to think.

First, Golden Rune was useful.

He pulled out a golden orb from his pocket, which wasn't something he had picked up on the body, but rather his official salary.

It could be considered a leftover blessing for the residents of The Lands Between. Since ordinary people couldn't directly use the Rune, it was essentially used as currency, with its value determined by the brightness of its glow, impossible to counterfeit, and fooling no one, young or old.

Kaelith applied some force, and with a crisp sound, the orb shattered, dissolving into a faint golden light that infused his body.

Useful, but can be overlooked.

He sighed, mentally reminding himself of the shortcut that had been severed by the Carian royal family, which was considered wealthy... If Golden Rune had a clear practical effect, he feared it wouldn't be long before Raya Lucaria Academy would be bloodily purged.

Perhaps the cost-benefit ratio was too low to be worth investing much effort here.

"Well, it could be that the Rune doesn't integrate with life force, so its effect isn't significant. Could it be that the soul itself is useful, not the blessing?"

Lacking further clues, Kaelith didn't dwell on the thought. He reached for the staff on the table beside him, twirling it over his head a couple of times before swinging it to conjure a half-meter-long arc of magic, which flew out like a spiral, cutting through some weeds before vanishing without a trace.

Academy Magic Glintstone Arc.

This was a new Magic Kaelith had learned, transforming the point of damage into an area of effect... He didn't feel any joy, casually tossing the staff aside.

Secondly, after killing that Academy lecturer, his Magic aptitude had indeed increased.

"But the blade was too long, and the power insufficient. According to the book's explanation, the same Magic used by different people can result in completely different outcomes."

Being able to learn and being able to use it were two different stages. Even though he had two life-imbued knights at his disposal, Kaelith was still dissatisfied. To be blunt, most of his previous victories were based on cheap, surprise attacks.

"You think I'm a knight? In reality, I'm a Sorcerer. You think I'm a Sorcerer? Actually, I prefer using a sword to kill."

The intelligence gap, coupled with preconceived notions, meant that the Cuckoo Knights didn't fully understand how many tricks their opponents could pull... Their underestimation of the situation, with knee strikes and cheap tactics, was as simple as eating and drinking.

"According to the application theory, the power of Magic is related to the user's aptitude, and it decreases with distance. That's why I can't afford to hesitate in launching my attacks."

Kaelith immediately sprang into action, walking through the Magic Tower, thinking to himself that there was only one solution.

He still had to *kill*!

Clear thinking and research could also enhance Intelligence, but that was too slow; how could he not take the opportunity to capture the "soul"? Thinking about this, he loosened his grip for a moment before tightening it again, clearly feeling a sense of urgency he couldn't suppress.

"Kaelith! You're causing trouble again!"

At this moment, a bold voice came from outside. A large cluster of blue particles flew through the door, quickly forming into a figure.

She wore a brown robe, with a Sorcerer's hat flowing wide, and held a finely crafted staff. It was Miriam, the lifelong Magic instructor of the Carian royal family, summoned by Ranni's command to instruct Kaelith.

Kaelith found the sight of this "particle-formed" figure rather eye-catching, and various mutated killing techniques flashed through his mind. Unfortunately, his intelligence was insufficient, and even if he understood the principles, he couldn't learn them.

"Professor Miriam, you've returned."

"Mm, I just went for a quick round at the crystallized ore mines." Miriam took off her mask, revealing a still youthful middle-aged woman's face. She took a sip from a cup and briefly closed her eyes while looking at the desk.

"'Glintstone Application Theory'? 'Kaloros Classroom Magic Selection'? 'Sea Demon Classroom Warfare Magic Theories'?"

"I've told you many times, the way of Magic cannot be rushed. Time has no meaning for us. You should start with the most fundamental theories, like Glintstone's origins, energy manipulation, and so on, when learning from scratch…"

Kaelith glanced over. The Magic instructor had started her lecture again, something he had experienced before. He recalled the first time they met; he had humbly listened, but ended up hearing her speak from morning until nightfall.

She was a good person, but talked too much and often got sidetracked, rarely teaching her students effectively.

Though Kaelith respected his teacher, he didn't interrupt her, and by the late afternoon, he had been listening until nightfall.

Finally, Miriam fell silent and took a sip of her water. "Now you understand?"

"I understand, but I still have a request," Kaelith said, gripping his sword tightly and speaking in a low voice. "Please, Professor, let's have a real combat session."

The instructor immediately gave him a sharp look. She remembered the last time they had sparred, when she had just gotten into position to raise her staff... and this guy had rushed at her like a mad dog, barely avoiding a critical strike from her sword before landing a punch on her face.

Though she was sure that wouldn't happen a second time, her face still hurt, and she couldn't say a word about it.

"Don't, don't, don't. I know your Magic application is a bit… no, particularly creative, but we are scholars first and foremost. Any dangerous Magic or destructive skills are just theoretical compounds in practice. Fighting and killing like that is not mature at all."

When he saw that she was unwilling, Kaelith didn't force the issue. He simply let go of the sword hilt, saying, "Perhaps I want to take a different path."

"A different path? What kind?"

"To merge Magic, Martial Arts, and Incantations into one, creating a special killing technique, and founding a new school—Ashina style."

Killing techniques...

Miriam gaped, thinking to herself that she had been lecturing for so long, but this person hadn't even paid attention to a word she said. Still, she wasn't angry.

In her heart, any form of learning deserved respect, whether theory or experimentation, but this so-called Ashina style had no distinction of high or low.

"Alright then," she said. "Although I don't fully agree with your killing technique, I promised Princess Ranni, and I must guide you on the path ahead." Miriam put her mask back on and calmly walked out of the Magic tower. At the door, she suddenly turned around.

The light breeze lifted her brown robe as she waved her hand at Kaelith, who stood stunned in the doorway.

"Come, let me see what new technique you've developed!"

Kaelith hadn't expected Miriam to change her mind, and was a bit moved. He didn't pick up his staff but instead grabbed the long, narrow box behind the high-backed chair.

When Miriam saw him outside striking a pose, she couldn't help but ask, "Did that brat Iji make this for you?"

"Yes, he just delivered it this afternoon. I didn't expect Lord Iji's craftsmanship to be so exceptional." Kaelith opened the box, revealing a long sword.

The sword was about three feet two inches long, with a slight curve. The whole blade gleamed silver-white, and the golden cross guard added some variety to its otherwise simple appearance. The pommel of the sword featured an intricately carved beast's claw, holding a Glintstone roughly the size of a ping-pong ball.

"A fine sword. No wonder it took him a whole half month to complete." Miriam also praised, then stroked her chin. "I remember this type of blade originates from the borders. It has a name too."

Kaelith didn't respond. He pushed the cross guard with his thumb, drew the sword, and swung it horizontally and vertically.

Bang—bang—

A cross-shaped flash of sword light cut through the night. Kaelith closed his eyes, feeling the familiar sensation.

It felt like returning to the state where he could fully unleash the skills he'd honed in swordsmanship. The night wind blew gently through his black hair, and his eyes suddenly opened.

"The sword's name—"

"Celestial Dew!"