Nidhogg calmly accepted the congratulations from Casca, Judeau, and the others. He caught Guts's eye in the crowd, then slipped away from the barracks and made his way to a nearby hill.
From his perspective, of course, he wasn't alone. The hooded woman and her horned horse followed.
Nidhogg didn't speak to her right away. First, he touched the Golden Mark on his chest to check his updated status.
「Level」 LV 27 (Human Titan)
「Items」 Flask of Crimson Tears (Restores HP) / Flask of Cerulean Tears (Restores FP) / Flask of Wondrous Physick (Empty) / Golden Seed (Increases Flask uses)
「Mid-term Quests」 Spirit Bell & Spirit Ashes (Condition: Reach Level 54) / End the Hundred-Year War
Upon reaching Level 27, his title had changed from "Mediocre" to "Human Titan." This signified that he had officially entered the ranks of top-tier human combatants.
He guessed that Griffith, Guts, and others like Schlager were already at this level. Against mundane soldiers, they were near the pinnacle of the power pyramid. Only supernatural forces—sorcerers, monsters from the astral realm, Apostles, and the God Hand—could challenge them.
He had also received the three different types of Flasks, and a Golden Seed to increase their uses.
Finally, the quests had updated.
There were now two mid-term quests: one to reach Level 54 and unlock the Spirit Bell and Spirit Ashes, allowing him to summon spirits to fight alongside him. The second was to end the Hundred-Year War between Midland and Tudor.
The woman dismounted, patted her horse's head, then turned and lowered her hood, revealing her face.
He wasn't surprised. It was who he expected.
She had short, chestnut-brown hair. Her left eye was closed, and three claw-like tattoos marked the lid.
"I am Melina. This is the spirit steed, Torrent." Melina's tone was characteristically cool. "We have been near you for some time now. Unfortunately, you could not hear our voices or see us until now."
"Some time now" likely meant when he'd hit Level 24. Those fleeting apparitions he'd seen must have been afterimages of Melina and Torrent.
But this wasn't a crossover. There was no shattered Elden Ring, no towering Erdtree. Melina shouldn't be here, following Marika's orders, fated to burn the Erdtree.
And if the Erdtree did exist here, it would have to be at a much later stage of the Berserk world, perhaps when Ganishka, the Kushan Emperor, transformed into the World Tree.
So why was Melina here?
Nidhogg asked directly, "Why are you here? What is your purpose?"
Melina looked at him, then took a light step forward. She reached out and touched his chest.
Nidhogg instinctively stepped back, then saw the scars on the back of her hand. He froze, stopped resisting, and let her fingers make contact.
The next moment, golden light flared. The brand on his chest projected outward, revealing its beautiful interlocking rings and lines.
"You must know where I come from. And where your power comes from." Melina said. "Whatever you have received, there is a reason for it. Nothing is without purpose."
"Nidhogg, you are a wedge of the Golden Order, gradually being driven into this world. A certain imposed will will attempt to vie for dominance over the order here in the future, competing with the law of causality that governs the astral realm."
Melina paused, not continuing. Instead, she raised a finger to her lips in a silent gesture.
Nidhogg felt a chill he'd never known before.
If Melina wasn't lying, then there were deep connections at play. In the world of Elden Ring, or in the world of Berserk, this kind of "incursion" was happening.
One side served the Greater Will. The other served the God of the Abyss.
One was an outer god. The other was an ancient god.
The light from the Golden Mark on his chest faded, but Nidhogg remained frowning, lost in the complex and terrifying vision of the future.
"Be at ease. I am here to help you, and I hope you will help us." Melina's voice was soothing. "Let us start with small things."
Nidhogg paused, looking up. "What 'small things'?"
"Let us begin with your Flasks and the Golden Seed." Melina didn't smile, but he could feel her goodwill. "Simply place the Golden Seed into your Flasks."
Nidhogg had three Flasks, but the Crimson and Cerulean Tears were two sides of the same vessel, balanced against each other. Together, they formed the Flask of Crimson & Cerulean Tears.
The Flask in his hand was exquisitely crafted, like crystal.
The Crimson Tears restored his life force. Wounds and internal injuries could be healed by the holy water within.
The Cerulean Tears restored his focus, which could be used for incantations or sorceries.
The balance between Crimson and Cerulean Tears in the Flask was initially equal.
But Nidhogg knew no incantations or sorceries. At most, he used weapon skills. The Cerulean Tears were nearly useless to him.
So, he carefully mixed all the holy water in the Flask into Crimson Tears.
Then he took the glowing Golden Seed and dropped it into the Flask, shaking it gently.
"The Golden Seed has fully integrated into your Flask," Melina said. "Its capacity has increased. You may drink from it more times."
"The holy water within will slowly and automatically replenish. But if you need to consume a large amount of Crimson or Cerulean Tears in a short time during an emergency, you must manage your usage carefully."
Nidhogg nodded. Then he asked, "And what about my quests?"
Melina explained slowly.
"The Golden Order itself is mindless. It merely follows a will. Through the form of 'quests,' it gradually infuses your body with power drawn from beyond."
"Because the stronger you become, the more the Golden Order can interfere with the functioning of this world's order. But it cannot make you an immensely powerful being all at once. Your body could not withstand it."
"In other words, these 'quests' are the Golden Order's way of prompting you to act and grow. When you reach a certain level, you become able to see spirits like me."
Nidhogg was a little stunned. "So, because I reached Level 27, I can see you, and my mid-term quests updated?"
"Correct," Melina confirmed.
His mid-term quests had changed, but the long-term and short-term ones remained. The two tasks—"Defeat Guts" and "Defeat Griffith"—were not things he could accomplish anytime soon.
They were not only powerful now, but their potential was limitless.
In three years, Guts would be strong enough to single-handedly kill hundreds of knights and mercenaries. Griffith would command thousands.
In four years, Griffith would become a terrifying member of the God Hand, and Guts would be the branded Black Swordsman.
In six years, Guts would evolve into the Berserker, and Griffith would be reborn as "Femto," beginning his conquest.
As Nidhogg was lost in thought, he noticed Melina had fallen silent. He looked at her. Her right eye was slightly narrowed, gazing into the distance.
"What's wrong?" Nidhogg asked.
Melina pressed her lips together. "Remember what I just said? You are a wedge of the Golden Order, driven into this world. Your existence creates a crack."
"'They' will first arrive here as spirits. Then, gradually, they will manifest physical bodies, nailed like spikes into every corner of the world, exerting their influence."
Before she finished speaking, a figure appeared in the distance, as far as the eye could see.
A soldier in red and green armor, carrying a straight sword, emerged from the shadows. Silent as a corpse, he began to run towards them.
「Quest」 Defeat the Grafted Soldier