What a madwoman!
Regardless of whether the Bloodhound Knight or the monsters saw Frieren's figure disappear into the darkness, they couldn't help but admire her.
Decisive enough, to dare to escape an unfavorable environment like that.
Only one question remained: did she fall to her death?
No sound came from below immediately; perhaps the chasm was deep enough that she hadn't reached the bottom yet...
A loud bang, accompanied by a brilliant blue light, bloomed, causing the cave walls to tremble and rocks to rain down.
"Using recoil to land. That's just like you."
Even Melina, who was familiar with Frieren, couldn't help but feel her heart tighten.
She hadn't expected Frieren to force a landing in such a manner, going from the middle of the chasm straight to the bottom.
Her imagination and mana control were beyond ordinary, but most importantly, her courage.
Flying was not easy in the Lands Between, and fall damage certainly existed. To take such a risk required extremely strong control; details determined success or failure.
"This angle is the best."
Frieren stomped on the solid ground, and at the same time, raised her staff, its tip glowing.
In the darkness, the enemies could no longer see the bottom of the chasm, and neither could she, for the most part. But a powerful sorcerer should possess mana perception, and for her, the targets were very clear.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
A continuous stream of Glintstone comets sniped through the air, selecting targets one by one, never missing.
They crossed hundreds of meters, yet their accuracy didn't diminish, and even more terrifyingly, their power hadn't waned in the slightest. It was almost a one-hit kill.
Their numbers dwindled, yet they couldn't find where the enemy was, nor could they even see the attack paths clearly.
By the time the Glintstone light appeared within their visible range, it was already too late.
They had initially thought of besieging the target in the cliff wall area, to utterly kill the intruder. But unexpectedly, the opponent directly leaped out of the disadvantageous environment.
Now, it was a stage for ultra-long-range sorcery.
Hidden in the darkness, Frieren continuously reaped her targets, a perfect marksman.
Countless Snail-like creatures fell like raindrops. Their vaunted projectile sorcery never even touched the corner of the silver-haired girl's robes from beginning to end.
The situation was already clear.
One by one, they fell to her sniping.
What Melina trusted most about the Tarnished was their combat intuition; they could always find a way to achieve great results with minimal effort.
The cave battle, originally disadvantageous, was instantly turned around, leaving the enemy unable to lift their heads, utterly powerless to resist.
She was a professional at dealing with these enemies who liked to set all sorts of traps. After all, she was battle-hardened; her skilled movements and keen judgment made it obvious.
The battles Frieren had experienced outside the Lands Between were no less intense; she handled these situations with ease.
Plop!
After another monster fell to the ground, the entire cave fell silent.
For a moment, no sign of life could be found, as if it had completely returned to the eternal silence that a crystal cave should possess.
Seeing this, Melina also looked around and murmured, "Is it finally clear? After cleaning up a few hundred, they shouldn't pose a threat to the villages and towns anymore."
"It's too early to conclude."
Before her voice fell, Frieren released a Starlight to illuminate the surroundings.
It rose unsteadily, one after another, illuminating the spiral cave from different heights. The countless corpses of monsters could be vaguely seen, a bloody mess.
Sure enough, there were survivors who had feigned death or hidden in rock crevices. What awaited them was a precise kill.
Even the well-traveled Melina had rarely seen such a thorough cleanup of a battlefield. However, it was indeed Frieren's style: she would usually show mercy to humans and other races, even turning a blind eye to those who escaped.
Otherwise, how could she have any living captives?
Against monsters, however, she launched a thunderous offensive, completely annihilating them, leaving no survivors, just like now.
Bang!
Suddenly, as Frieren was engrossed in the cleanup, an arrow flew towards her.
It was precisely when her old strength had waned and new strength had yet to rise, aimed straight for her throat—
However, she tilted her head in time to avoid the attack, effortlessly, as if the threat to her vital point didn't exist.
Screech!
The moment the arrow grazed her neck, sparks flew.
It had collided with the distorted light barrier enveloping her body. The distance had already shortened enough to trigger one of her permanent, close-range protective layers.
"Well done. You are an excellent warrior."
The silver-haired girl stared intently at the Bloodhound Knight above, who had somehow adopted an inverted posture to shoot the arrow.
The force of this shot was so strong it snapped the bow, and the recoil made his hand bleed, yet it still didn't break her defense.
It was hard to say whether he was truly mad now, or if his combat instincts had advanced further, understanding how to bide his time.
Facing a strong enemy, the knight had thought of an opportunity for a desperate struggle, yet he had still miscalculated.
Although the opponent praised him, he was far from injuring the target, let alone killing... But the intense madness surging in his chest still roared.
The next moment, he leaped abruptly, his sword plunging into the wall to slow his descent, landing on the ground in an instant.
Frieren assumed a stance.
She wasn't wearing armor now, not in her fully equipped state. Otherwise, that arrow just now would have even been deflected by the gorget of her armor.
So, her margin for error was not as high as when she was at full strength.
However, the gap between them was still like a chasm. The seemingly arrogant Bloodhound Knight's movements were actually quite slow.
Clang!
The brass shield easily blocked the curved sword's strike.
She followed up with a charge, perfectly hitting the target's shoulder and causing an imbalance.
She pressed her advantage with a Carian Slicer, but it was dodged.
The Bloodhound Knight had executed a bizarre footwork, narrowly avoiding the attack by using his low stance.
No, it wasn't actually a dodge, because the more immense the magical power, the less one could judge it by its surface appearance. The cutting edge was far larger than the glowing part.
The blade still sliced through the top of his helmet, revealing his heavily zombified body. It was severe, beyond saving.
And that wasn't all. Having stayed in the crystal cave under the constant erosion of potent magic, there was little difference between humans and monsters. Even soul-healing sorcery couldn't save his ravaged body.
"A pity. I can only finish you here."
With this thought, Frieren took the initiative, instantly unleashing a Carian Slicer.
Too fast.
The lightning-like figure caught the Bloodhound Knight off guard, sending him flying upwards. His battle-hardened body was actually thrown, exposing a fatal opening—
Boom!
Ancient Death Rancor bombarded him continuously, shattering his armor, leaving his flesh completely unprotected.
Mortals lacked the resilience of divine beings; these impacts dealt greater damage.
He could barely stand after landing on the ground.
A roar still rumbled from deep within the Bloodhound Knight's throat.
Although he Do your best to grab his curved sword, the next moment, a Carian Slicer pierced his heart.
All life vanished, his energy rapidly draining, unsustainable. The entire process was fluid, giving him no time to organize any effective counterattack.
The rhythm of the battle belonged to his opponent from beginning to end.
After finishing all this, Frieren followed up with a purification sorcery. She didn't know in what state he would return to the Erdtree, but it was at least better than being a monster in a dark cave.
At the same time, the notification sound for a new item obtained echoed in her mind.
A delicate blue talisman lay on the ground.
Sure enough, there was a drop!
Even in the darkness, Frieren's eyes immediately fixed on the small talisman on the ground. Whether it was the previous treasure chest or this talisman, both were within the detection range of her minimap module, acting as a form of perception.
She first scanned her surroundings to confirm no monsters survived, then walked over and bent down to pick up the spoils.
[Cerulean Amber Medallion]
[A medallion with a blue amber inset. Increases maximum FP.]
[Amber is an ancient dew of the Golden Erdtree.]
[In the age of Godfrey, the first Elden Lord, it was considered a special gem.]
[The primordial power of life is hidden within.]
Finally, a usable talisman, and greatly beneficial for an Astrologer build.
A sorcerer should have more blue (FP), and drinking fewer cerulean flasks for replenishment meant fewer openings, enhancing combat effectiveness and providing a higher margin for error than before.
The description was rather plain. These talismans always liked to mention which king's era they belonged to; it seemed to be a special, rough method of dating in the Lands Between.
In reality, elven races also often used era-specific characteristics as designations, without considering specific years. Anyway, most people had experienced them.
Perhaps one day there would be descriptions like "Treasure chests massively forged during the era of Elden Lord Frieren, containing treasures scattered throughout the world"...
She immediately equipped the talisman.
A surge of power welled up within her, especially her magical energy, which became more active.
Seeing this, Melina nodded and said, "A very suitable talisman for you. In the past, Cerulean Amber Medallions were specifically issued to the sorcerers of the Royal Capital's army. Unfortunately, since the Shattering, craftsmanship has declined, there's almost no new production, and existing stock is constantly damaged and dwindling. Some already precious items have become exceedingly rare."
"War is too destructive to productivity. It's no wonder things have declined under such circumstances."
Frieren deeply lamented the state of the Lands Between.
Rather, the worlds she experienced through her 'game magic' were never good. Someone like her wouldn't idly wait for destruction.
Since she was here, she had to do something; otherwise, it would be a disservice to all the trouble she had gone through.
Next, the silver-haired girl strolled through the crystal cave again, eliminating any monsters she found without leaving a single one.
It was clean.
She wouldn't allow any disgusting snail-like monsters to reach the surface.
The reconstruction of the Liurnia region was the top priority of the next ten-year plan. In the future, it would directly serve as a supply base for the Royal Capital's front lines, so it needed to be even more stable than Limgrave.
Only after a final, wide-range mana perception scan did Frieren confirm the cave was safe.
The silver-haired girl stretched her shoulders and then headed towards an opening at the bottom of the cave.
It suddenly opened up to bright sunlight, and a small hut came into view.
Beside it, a woman in a robe was stroking a giant wolf lying on the ground.
A bow and arrows on her back. An archer?
"Tarnished? What are you doing here? I already told that man, I don't have the medallion. Are you still not satisfied? You've already taken my companions..."
The impatient and angry voice abruptly stopped because Frieren showed the Haligtree Secret Medallion.
It probably wasn't stolen, because Albus was skilled at hiding, and this person's attitude didn't seem like someone who came to eradicate them.
Wait!
Coming to her senses and carefully observing her guest, Latenna noticed the other's unusual features. This image was known throughout the world.
"I came from the Golden Lineage seeking inspiration for the art of life manipulation, though I likely failed. I happened to meet Albus, who entrusted me with the medallion. He has passed away; my condolences. Before he died, he said it must be given to Latenna, to grasp the chance to reach that paradise of the Albinaurics."
The incredibly precious Haligtree Secret Medallion was thus placed in her hands.
Latenna set the medallion aside and fell silent, her face filled with sorrow and reminiscence, without a trace of doubt.
She felt it.
Moreover, a monarch's credibility was beyond question. In the Lands Between, aura also counted as a form of strength.
It wasn't because the strong didn't resort to petty tricks, but because they reached the pinnacle by always being open and upright. Power responds to its master's magnanimity.
If someone with a weak will so much as touched the border of becoming strong, they would have long since become a Living Dead.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Albus, having his last wish fulfilled, must be very happy... What a pity. For me, without my companions, where is paradise?"
"I was rude to you just now, I apologize. I thought you were cut from the same cloth as that Gideon Ofnir. Please forgive me."
After seeing the medallion, Latenna regained some of her spirits.
"Nominally, Sir Gideon Ofnir and I both belong to the Roundtable Hold, but while I agree with his ideals, my actions are completely different. I assure you, the line between me and that man is clear."
Frieren declared solemnly. After this incident, she would be thoroughly wary of Sir Gideon Ofnir.
"In that case, the medallion should be kept by Your Majesty." She smiled bitterly and shifted her body; her lower half was almost immobile. "Also, could you listen to my request? I must go back."
"Even if my wolf, Lobo, is dead, I must complete my mission. Please take me to Miquella's Haligtree."
"If you agree to my request, I will tell Your Majesty the location of the other medallion half."
"—I promise."
Watching Frieren agree to Latenna's request without hesitation, she was merely suppressing her grief and anger with raw emotion.
Latenna vaguely saw again a person striving for their mission.
Thinking back to how the Tarnished had similarly agreed to her request, and was still fulfilling the promise to this day, doing far better than imagined, always possessing an enthusiastic heart, helping countless people.
In her heart, Frieren was the strongest.
Perhaps she still lacked the fame, foundation, and power of a Lord of Cinder, but in a real fight, she wouldn't lose to any opponent.
Because the Lands Between had caused the will of those strong individuals to lag behind; the strength of the mind was paramount.
If one had to say, perhaps only the First Lord, now outside the Lands Between, still possessed his former aura. A person's spirit is reflected in their strength; that warrior king's demeanor was likely undiminished from his prime...
Fortunately, he was exiled, not within the range Melina considered a threat.
Latenna carefully stroked Lobo's fur, gazing deeply, as if it were a final farewell.
After a moment, she slowly spoke, "Thank you, Your Majesty. You are indeed as magnanimous as the rumors say. It's been a long time since such a presence was seen in the Lands Between."
"It's no trouble."
Whether there was a side quest or not, Frieren would measure every inch of the world with her own feet. So how could she possibly ignore a Haligtree?
It sounded like one of the very few places maintaining a normal life, worth a visit.
"The other half of the medallion is in Castle Sol, north of the Erdtree, in the forbidden depths of the Mountaintops of the Giants. You'll need to use the Grand Lift of Rold."
She had expected the other to show hesitation.
However, a smile played on the silver-haired girl's lips, and a fire hot enough to melt that snowfield gleamed in her eyes.
"Excellent. I love hearing news of such distant, legendary lands. Come with me, Latenna. We will witness the highest point of the Haligtree."
Not only unshaken by the daunting request, but inviting me instead?
This was truly...
Even the world-weary Latenna couldn't help but feel a surge of heroic spirit, gazing at Frieren holding out her hand, bathed in the wind from Liurnia's lakes, coming from the south, strong enough to blow to the Haligtree city above the clouds.
The valiant queen was more capable of uniting the lands than the Storm Lord of old, like a wind sweeping away the haze, awakening fighting spirit.
It made one realize they had always been unwilling, always unable to let go, always prepared for battle. When she invited you, how could one refuse such a call?
Latenna took that hand.
"For convenience, I can only follow Your Majesty in this manner."
Before her voice fell, her figure vanished, transforming into a handful of ash-like energy.
Although her form had changed, her power was undiminished. As long as her strong will existed, she could appear whenever summoned.
Latenna the Albinauric Archer would respond to summons in the future, becoming a member of the Ashen Army.
This special legion of retainers had expanded again, joined by a new, strong individual.
"When you need me, please be sure to call. I will fight for you, my Queen."
Frieren nodded, hearing the whispered instructions.
She felt the unique soul energy of powerful spirit ashes, existing in the world in another form, abandoning a frail body only to journey north with her again, responding to the invitation with resolute will.
Latenna, her fighting spirit rekindled, would only be stronger than before.
And Frieren had one more reason to research the art of life manipulation.
One day, she would have to create a body for this meritorious servant. After all, she would surely undergo countless trials as a member of the Ashen Army.
The gains were substantial.
Frieren then checked the description for [Latenna the Albinauric]:
[Spirit ashes, housing a soul. Can summon the spirit of Latenna the Albinauric.]
[A rare being who willingly became a spirit.]
[Latenna is a renowned magic archer.]
[But because she lost her companion Lobo, she can only remain at the summoned location, unable to move.]
On the surface, spirit ashes lacking mobility were limited in their use, but in her hands, it didn't matter.
A single soul enhancement, and even the half-paralyzed could jump around lively. After all, even Living Dead could be enhanced to the level of elite troops.
Sooner or later, the Ashen Army under her command would possess numerous hero units, enough to contend with the demigod honor guards of the Royal Capital's army, just like when they recently faced Margit.
An archer's weak mobility could be compensated for by the front line, and it perfectly supplemented the lack of ranged units. This addressed a shortcoming.
Frieren wasn't afraid of weak spirit ashes, only of having too few that could be permanently summoned. For instance, types like the Death Ritual Birds or Crayfish Soldiers that disappeared after a few uses were unreliable; she needed permanent summons.
To be safe, she also glanced at player reviews, lest she overlook something:
[Super Counter Pick Spirit Ash]
[Latenna: Me fight Dragonlord Placidusax? For real?]
[Latenna: Don't praise me too much, I'm just a madwoman. Tarnished: The good thing about you is that you ARE a madwoman!]
[This range is ridiculous, the intercontinental ballistic missile of the Lands Between.]
[Guaranteed to be useful against targets that stay in place and have poor mobility. She can dish out damage without actively rushing forward to her death. The downside is she's a bit fragile, but now with incantations that can heal spirit ashes, it should be considered a buff. Anyway, still my go-to for cheesing.]
[Long range means less worry. This is what a real archer is. Other archers' ranges are nothing compared to Latenna's. What do you call a true seeking missile!]
[Among so many spirit ashes, having unique characteristics is already great. Definitely a counter pick. But not worth investing too much in, her general utility is rather poor. Better to use something with stronger overall capabilities like the Mimic Tear.]
[Dragonlord can be fought head-on, of course, but Crumbling Farum Azula has high stats, so you need to level up.]
[I didn't even think of the hidden location.]
[How is it so deep? Who knew you had to lie down to enter a time-space rift? After a lot of jumping around, I finally got there.]
[Dragonlord Placidusax only serves one purpose for me: to stab myself with a Miquella's Needle in the time-space rift to suppress the Frenzied Flame. Now I can happily go mad.]
[Latenna: I'm not here to watch you go mad.]
...The continuous stream of information made Frieren frown.
She hadn't expected a single Latenna spirit ash to lead to such a long string of intelligence. Although most of it was fragmented, it was enough to deduce some conclusions:
Dragonlord Placidusax hadn't fallen as some legends in the Lands Between claimed but existed in a time-space rift, healing or barely surviving. What a pity; a once-mighty figure reduced to a crippled state.
Who did it?
The culprit's achievement greatly diminished her interest in challenging the Dragonlord. What was the point of defeating a crippled king?
In a sense, that Dragonlord was the first Elden Lord of the Lands Between, while Godfrey was the first king of the Golden Dynasty. Who was stronger was unknown, but both were worthy opponents.
Provided they were in their complete form. It was too pitiful for a former king to decline to such a state.
For the reason of protecting rare species, from Frieren's standpoint, as long as the other party was willing to stay put, Dragonlord Placidusax could continue to exist.
"Never mind, we'll talk about this later."
The key was obtaining some clues about Crumbling Farum Azula: it was related to the summit of the snowfields, located in a place where time was solidified.
No wonder Maliketh, the Black Blade, had to preserve Destined Death here; perhaps it was also to keep an eye on the ancient dragons. The clues were clear now.
It was indeed hard to find, as it wasn't easy to observe even from a temporal perspective.
And precisely because of this characteristic, it could serve as an environment to suppress the Frenzied Flame...
What was Miquella's Needle? For now, it was unknown; clues were lacking.
Frieren glanced at Melina, who was, as usual, staring blankly into the distance.
If Melina knew she was quietly pondering matters of the Frenzied Flame, would she get angry?
Why did players always think the Frenzied Flame was a key method? That too was unknown.
But with greater freedom, other methods could always be found.
The reason for researching information about the Frenzied Flame was because it was one of the factors causing chaos in the Lands Between, and for a complete collection, Frenzied Flame-type abilities couldn't be missing.
Oh well.
No matter what twists and turns lay behind it, there would always be a perfect ending. After all, even the world of Dark Souls had been brought to a perfect conclusion by her through several save files and various key items.
"Thinking so much, I almost forgot about the spirit ashes."
With this thought, Frieren bestowed a soul blessing upon the Spirit Calling Bell, even enhancing it with the power of a Great Rune.
"You should feel it, Latenna. Accept my soul sorcery and increase your strength. You should now be considered the wisest among the Ashen Army. I'll have to trouble you with coordination in the future."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
The thoughts conveyed through the soul level carried her expectations.
She had thought she was leaving her body for a great sacrifice, but she hadn't expected Frieren's soul sorcery to be so advanced, allowing her to advance even further.
In the future, an even stronger magic archer would take the field.
After giving her instructions, the silver-haired girl dug a pit beside the hut and carefully buried the large wolfhound, Lobo.
Parting meant a new beginning.
Its master had already embarked on a journey, which was enough to console this soul.
_______
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