Torrent's silver hooves struck the ground of the Deeproot Depths beneath the Erdtree like drumsticks, each splash against the water giving off a dull, rhythmic thud.
Nolan noticed Melina's arms tightening around his waist.
Ever since they had returned from the Land of Shadow, this lovely Witch had kept a certain distance from him, close yet not quite close enough.
She would not press against him too intimately, nor would she seem too distant. She always kept just the right amount of space.
It was rare for the girl to take the initiative like this, and her mood was different from usual, but Nolan knew very well that it was not because of him.
"The roots here... seem to be breathing," Melina said softly.
Her warm breath brushed Nolan's neck like a feather, making his skin itch faintly.
The two of them were rather close, but this was only natural while riding. Besides, when she was in spirit form, she was usually either sitting in front of Nolan or holding him from behind.
Asimi, lying on Nolan's shoulder, suddenly cried out in alarm. "That big thing moved!"
Her silver-white body had almost curled completely into a ball, her fingers clutching Nolan's cloak tightly.
"Master, let's go back! This place is too scary!"
Nolan was just about to answer when the ground suddenly shook violently.
Ahead of them, the tree roots holding the golden ritual staff writhed like living things. Golden sap seeped from the cracks and condensed into eerie runes in the air.
"Erdtree Avatar!" Melina called out in a low voice, instinctively raising her Dagger.
But she was held in someone's arms and could not move. The attack had already arrived.
Sharp roots thrust out of the ground like spears. Torrent neighed and leaped aside with incredible agility.
Melina's arms locked tightly around Nolan's waist, while Asimi let out a string of terrified screams. Like a frightened cat, she scrambled on all fours onto Torrent's neck.
"Go, Asimi! What are you waiting for?" Nolan had no intention of acting himself. He simply flicked Asimi on the head and spoke to her on his shoulder.
"Yes!" Asimi's voice was still just as lacking in confidence, but her silver-white body kept shifting. At the very least, she obediently followed Nolan's order.
The Erdtree Avatar had fully taken shape. It was a giant formed from twisted roots, with a split down the center of its trunk like a savage grin.
It swept its branch-like arms toward them. Torrent nimbly dodged again, but this time a volley of golden holy light arrows tore through the air, trailing sharp whistles behind them.
Perhaps out of fear of Nolan, or perhaps driven by the instinct to survive after seeing the arrows, Asimi finally stopped trembling.
Her body melted and reformed. In the blink of an eye, she became another Nolan, wearing the same armor and wielding the same two greatswords he commonly used.
The greatswords carved a sharp arc through the air, easily knocking away the incoming arrows of light.
Asimi let out a roar, as if trying to encourage herself, then charged straight at the Erdtree Avatar.
Her movements were smooth and natural, but compared to Nolan, they clearly lacked precision.
Asimi's swordsmanship had the same ruthless simplicity as Nolan's, yet she missed several chances to end the fight in a single strike.
Nolan watched in silence. Asimi's imitation was already quite impressive, but flaws still remained. She had copied his form, but not fully captured his essence.
It was not a matter of technique. She knew all of Nolan's sword skills. It was a matter of combat awareness. Even a highly intelligent combat AI was still just a little short of the Lord of Cinder, who had fought for ten thousand years.
Even so, her strength was still impressive. Asimi nimbly rolled to the side, easily avoiding the treant's heavy strike.
The greatsword in Asimi's hand swept through the air in a dazzling arc, instantly bursting with blazing flames and brilliant lightning.
With that swing, the treant's arm was brutally severed. The break still bore traces of scorching heat, covered in countless burn marks like hideous scars.
The Erdtree Avatar was left confused by this contradictory opponent, a warrior with superb combat skill who was also timid and hesitant.
The battle did not last long. After a struggle that took longer than if Nolan had acted himself, Nolan's Asimi version finally found her opening.
It was a textbook leaping downward slash, as precise as a programmed routine.
She drove the greatsword deep into the crack in the treant's trunk, completely robbing the Erdtree Avatar of its ability to fight, but she did not kill it.
"Master! Master!"
She returned to her original form and scrambled back onto Nolan in a panic, her silver-white body trembling nonstop.
"That big thing was terrifying!"
Anyone who did not know better would have thought she had been defeated by the Erdtree Avatar.
Nolan helplessly walked toward the dying Erdtree Avatar. When he raised his hand, dazzling golden light flared in his palm, then turned into a war spear.
The final strike fell, and the treant collapsed completely, turning into a pile of dead branches and golden dust.
This firewood was also ignited within Nolan's body. To Nolan, this big fellow was only a little dessert after a meal, but it was still far more efficient than slowly squeezing out runes.
"Mm..." Nolan paused, his eyes turning toward the deeper reaches of the Deeproot Depths.
"Nolan." Melina frowned, the girl's voice pulling his gaze back. "Did you find something else?"
Nolan blinked, the girl's face reflected in his eyes.
"I feel like someone is watching us. Probably drawn here by my regal aura," he said with a smile.
He lightly rubbed his chin. He could also sense the power of death, but the one spying from the shadows was not one of Those Who Live in Death.
Melina rolled her eyes at this shameless man.
"Unknown mighty one, please forgive my rudeness."
An unfamiliar female voice came from the darkness.
Nolan, Melina, Asimi, and Torrent all turned toward the source of the voice at the same time.
A young woman in thin black robes stepped out from the shadows. Her pale golden hair spilled over her shoulders, and blue veins were faintly visible beneath her pallid skin.
Most striking of all were her eyes. They were deep blue yet pale, like the eyes of someone near the end of life.
"Sleeping Maiden..." Nolan said softly, his hand already resting on his staff.
"It is an honor that you know of our existence." The young woman smiled faintly, a smile that reminded Nolan of white flowers blooming in a graveyard.
"My name is Fia," she said, her voice as soft as a feather brushing skin. "I am a Tarnished who came to the Lands Between from the outside world, here to pay my respects to Lord Godwyn, Prince of Death."
Her gaze fell on Nolan, and a faint ghostly light suddenly flashed through her dark eyes as she stared at him without blinking.
Fia quickly seemed to realize her lapse in manners. She hurriedly took a step forward and explained,
"I'm sorry. I did not mean to pry into you. It was just... difficult to restrain myself."
Her voice was soft and graceful, carrying a trace of apology.
Melina immediately grew wary. She quickly raised the Dagger in her hand and stood in front of Nolan, warning Fia not to come any closer.
Fia only smiled slightly, gently tilting her head as her gaze met Nolan's directly.
Asimi poked her head out from behind Nolan.
"You're alive," she whispered, then quickly shrank back again. "How can the scent of death be so thick on you?"
Fia laughed softly. "What a perceptive young lady. It has to do with my former duty, though explaining it would be somewhat troublesome."
"I'm sure you don't want to waste time either. Let's talk while we walk." She stepped around Melina and looked straight into Nolan's eyes. "May I travel with you?"
Melina's brows drew together, and she was just about to object when Nolan smiled and asked,
"Aren't you here to pay your respects to Godwyn?"