After the battle, Guilliman discovered something else.
After the intense fight, he had consumed about 40% of his magic power. However, while in the Lands Between, his magic showed no signs of recovery.
This indicated that the magic environment of the Lands Between was completely incompatible with Chaos Magic, or rather, the magic systems were entirely different.
Although the Elden Ring world possessed seven or eight magic systems, Chaos Magic did not exist here, preventing him from absorbing magic from the external environment.
It seemed that to recover his magic, he would have to rely on two methods: drinking magic potions and allowing his internal mutated organs to automatically generate magic through metabolism.
This was one of the problems he anticipated encountering in many worlds.
Fortunately, he still had many intermediate and advanced magic potions in his storage space, as well as numerous Witcher potions, so he wouldn't lack ways to restore magic in the short term.
Guilliman let out a breath.
The Elden Ring world was an extremely complex world, hiding many secrets, having experienced various dynastic changes, divine successions, and even shifts in dominant species. Its power systems were mixed, and the world's rules were incomplete.
Although he had experience from the game, the game was one thing, and the real world was another.
Just like the Witcher world, the real Lands Between was not a small game map that could be traversed in a few dozen minutes. It was at least dozens, if not hundreds, of times larger than the world depicted in the game.
And the various creatures, ecological environments, monster types, and intelligent races living in this world were far more numerous than imagined.
As Guilliman was contemplating this, he suddenly noticed that a glowing, currency-like energy crystal had inexplicably condensed on the corpse of the Tree Sentinel.
When he tried to pick up the crystal, the energy whizzed into his hand, forming a special runic imprint on his arm.
At the same time, a clear understanding dawned in his mind.
These were Runes, a total of over five thousand six hundred of them, the entire legacy he had gained from defeating the Tree Sentinel.
Runes were a special form of energy in the Lands Between, usable as currency between various races to purchase items, exchange goods, and for other special purposes.
When a creature of the Lands Between killed another, it would acquire all of the defeated creature's Runes, though Runes could also be transferred through trade.
For players, its most familiar use was for leveling up with the 'little wife' Melina to gain greater power.
What surprised Guilliman was that even an outsider like himself could use Runes, and that Runes and Soul Power were two separate systems, which was a double surprise.
Unfortunately, he wasn't a Tarnished and didn't have a Finger Maiden to help him use the power of Runes to level up.
However, he could use these Runes to strengthen equipment, trade items, or hire others for work, essentially functioning as currency.
Guilliman mused inwardly, but his hands were swift. He quickly stripped the Tree Sentinel of its golden armor, leaving it with only a set of respectable common clothes, as a tribute to the powerful knight.
Through this, he also got a clear look at the Tree Sentinel's face.
It indeed had a human-like face, resembling a middle-aged man.
However, seeing his withered face and vacant features, he didn't look like a living person. It was unclear what power had assailed him to turn him into this state.
Guilliman wasn't curious. Instead, he quickly left the area and began exploring the surroundings, heading towards the Church of Elleh.
Along the way, he killed two native goat-like animals of the Lands Between, harvesting two animal hides and some relatively fresh meat.
Then, he gathered some wild fruit-like items from bushes and various trees, tasting a small amount of each.
With a Witcher's strong poison resistance, he wasn't afraid of ordinary poisons and could boldly try ingredients from other worlds.
Guilliman found that these ingredients all tasted quite good.
Perhaps due to the high magic content of the Lands Between, whether it was meat or wild fruit, he could feel that they contained a considerable amount of energy and were rich in nutrients, possibly usable as ingredients for various potions or alchemical items.
And when cooked and eaten directly, they were quite effective in restoring stamina and eliminating fatigue.
Not long after, Guilliman arrived near the Church of Elleh.
He didn't encounter any enemies along the way. It seemed the area he was in was likely the'starter zone' of the game, a relatively safe area.
Before even entering the church, his keen Witcher senses told Guilliman that there was a bonfire inside, and sounds like a horse's panting, indicating the presence of living beings.
He felt both wary and expectant, but he didn't stop, instead quickly walking into the Church of Elleh.
What greeted him was the ruins of a church, with no ceiling, only a few stone walls that barely qualified as walls, capable of blocking monsters' sight and the dust from outside.
Interestingly, in the center of the church, a large, bonfire-like energy cluster of concentrated magic was quietly growing on the ground.
Perhaps it was this that brought a touch of harmony and peace to the church, allowing passing travelers to rest here.
Any player would know what this was: the Grace of the Erdtree, also known as a Site of Grace.
It was a massive magic node that could be used to accomplish many things with the power of the Erdtree.
Unfortunately, Guilliman did not possess the Grace of the Erdtree, and he was unsure if he could use its power here.
At the same time, an old man sitting by the bonfire, with a mule-like animal carrying many goods beside him, also came into the Witcher's view along with the church environment.
The old man also noticed the Witcher, but his demeanor was quite calm. He was neither nervous nor afraid, merely nodding at him blankly as a greeting.
Finding that the other party had no hostility, Guilliman breathed a sigh of relief.
He slowly approached the old man, his expression kind, his movements unhurried, not wanting to pressure the other party.
Once closer, he spoke:
"Hello, may I ask who you are?"
Perhaps by some unseen will, languages from different worlds could actually be understood.
The old man's gaze never left Guilliman. Upon hearing his question, the old man's stiff face seemed to try to force out a smile, then he said in a somewhat hoarse, dry voice:
"Hello... customer?"
"Welcome. Here... I am here, here... Welcome... to the shop of Kale, the wandering merchant..."
"Please... do you have any food?"
"Please... I've been hungry for days..."
Perhaps because he hadn't spoken with a normal person in a long time, despite being a wandering merchant, the old man's voice was intermittent and a bit muddled, but still understandable.
Guilliman looked at the wandering merchant Kale, sensing that the old man might have been afraid to search for food nearby due to the Tree Sentinel, and had perhaps been hiding in this church for many days.
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