The few scattered Bloodfiends were no longer enough to put Frieren on alert; maintaining a defensive Glintblade Phalanx and using Rancorcall for pursuit was sufficient.
The Golden Goats were what she needed to watch out for.
Those lightning-wielding creatures had successfully ambushed her earlier, and if not for her high resistance, she would have been paralyzed for a while. Some plant-like monsters could do something similar, but their power was far inferior.
She decided to treat them as some kind of ancient monster and test their limits.
Rustle!
Seeing the situation was dire, the goats' hairs stood on end as they summoned lightning, filling the air with a crackling hum.
Some even curled into a ball and charged forward.
Frieren wouldn't miss the opportunity presented by such reckless foes. She unleashed a Moonlight Greatsword, cleaving one in two, followed by another, felling several charging goats in succession.
They were certainly stubborn, charging with all their might despite knowing their target was formidable.
Melina arrived from below the ruined Lookdown Town just in time to witness the silver-haired girl alternating between Moonlight Greatsword and Valorous Lion's Claw, using less and less magic.
A true researcher.
If not for Frieren's demonstration, she would have found it hard to believe that two Weapon Skills could be fused with the properties of the Dark Moon Greatsword to such complementary effect.
In Frieren's hands, they had become entirely new techniques.
The rest of the battle was without suspense. With the defeat of the threatening Ghostflame Dragon and Horned Warrior, the balance of power was completely shattered. The remaining monsters were reduced to fodder, unable to withstand a single blow, and were quickly turned into Runes.
No matter how they tried to attack from cunning angles or harass her, they could not overcome absolute power.
Thump, thump—
Amidst a series of muffled explosions, the monsters were annihilated. Even the perpetually aggressive, charging goats became roasted mutton, lying on the ground sizzling.
They were cooked by their own lightning, then sliced into chunks, emanating a strangely appetizing aroma that refreshed the spirit.
The fighting had made her hungry.
Frieren, with her mind free to wander, easily completed the extermination.
Before long, all the monsters in the Lookdown Town had been cleared. Within the range of her perception, there were no longer any threatening life forms, only ordinary small animals, free of any corruption.
The ruins, occupied by Bloodfiends for years, were finally returned to tranquility.
Breathing in the scent of roasted meat, the silver-haired girl glanced at the goats scattered across the ground.
Though they knew how to command lightning, their methods were too primitive, and their power was worlds apart from hers. So they were useless, merely a momentary curiosity that proved unremarkable upon closer inspection. In comparison, the drops from the Bloodfiends were also strange.
She walked over to a Bloodfiend and picked up a bizarrely shaped arm, which looked like it could be a hammer or a greatsword. It was bafflingly impressive.
"What is it? Is something wrong?"
Melina asked, keeping watch on their surroundings. After all, the commotion might attract more monsters; it might not be over yet.
"It's fine, I've dealt with everything. All that's left is to collect the spoils."
"I just checked the map. In terms of the Gravesite Plain, there's only a church at the base of a cliff left to explore. We should have searched most of the other areas."
Frieren's treasure-hunting ability was truly admirable.
The vast Gravesite Plain was dotted with countless points of interest, yet a newcomer had managed to sweep through them all.
The Horned Folk civilization had already been conquered once by Melina's army, which carried away a great deal of precious material. Now, the Lord of Cinder, a one-woman army, had scraped the land clean. There was likely nothing left in this half of the Land of Shadow.
The most valuable location had been Belurat, Tower Settlement, and now it was a ruin.
It was cleansed.
They could no longer use this area as a base of operations.
After speaking in detail with the Nox to gather intelligence, Melina was almost certain that the Gravesite Plain under their feet was a rare, relatively safe zone. Even the arrogant Horned Folk civilization in its prime did not dare to venture into other regions, because they were far too dangerous.
The Land of Shadow was about to bare its fangs.
Her partner's personality was not one to worry, so Melina was carefully planning ahead. Just as she expected, Frieren had already begun to...
...test it:
THUD!
The massive Bloodfiend's Arm was lifted and then slammed down, producing a heavy, muffled sound. Dust rose from the surrounding ground. Clearly, this weapon was stronger than it appeared. Its shape was reminiscent of the "Great Club" from the age of Dark Souls 2.
It was a pity there was no suitable target to practice on, but the description and stats spoke for themselves:
[Bloodfiend's Arm]
[Weapon used by the Bloodfiends.]
[An arm torn from the corpse of a kinsman to be used as a weapon.]
[It has been purified through a blood ritual.]
[Unleash a heavy attack to spray the stagnant blood from within the arm.]
Aesthetic value had always been very important to Frieren, and she simply couldn't bring herself to use some of the more bizarrely shaped weapons, especially the utterly grotesque Bloodfiend's Arm. It was simply appalling.
If the Mimic Tear saw it, it would surely offer an unsparing evaluation of "ugly-ass weapon" before steering clear.
Strange.
She couldn't explain why there were so many player messages where the weapon dropped. Experience suggested they were usually there to point out a powerful weapon; everyone would automatically ignore the joke items.
So the Bloodfiend's Arm must have some merit. Unable to figure it out herself, Frieren checked the messages:
[Look what I found? A wheelchair.]
[The easiest starter god-weapon to get in the Land of Shadow. Mows through everything.]
[Insane poise damage, insane attack power, and you can even put an Ash of War on it. Paired with a weapon skill, the damage is even higher. This is the power of pure stats.]
[Have you seen the numbers in the Land of Shadow?]
[Just use the Endure skill with a max-level Bleed-infused Bloodfiend's Arm and tank-and-spank the boss. This cycle of one Endure followed by one heavy attack... it feels so familiar. The muscle memory is coming back.]
[The memories of my past life have awakened.]
[So scary. The Ashen One who became the last Lord of Cinder with this wheelchair feels right at home.]
[The Bloodfiend's Arm has great stats, and it's even better with an Ash of War. Besides being a bit ugly, it has no flaws. It's decided, you and I will conquer the Land of Shadow together. We'll kill gods and buddhas alike.]
[The Land of Shadow is stat-heavy, but so are the weapons.]
[Every enemy is a rabid dog with high attack and high poise. The Shadow Realm Blessing barely helps. Me using a wheelchair isn't going too far, is it?]
[You started it.]
[Against these ridiculous enemies, you just have to drop the formalities and kill them.]
[The Bloodfiend makes me think of Vordt's Great Hammer, of Irithyll, of the thirst for victory.]
[Stop. Don't think about things you shouldn't.]
Her own memories stirred, Frieren also tried the Endure version of the Bloodfiend's Arm. The combo was indeed powerful. And considering she could use Endure independently without occupying a skill slot, the arm could actually be fitted with another Ash of War, like Cragblade.
If she was going to use it as a poise-breaking weapon, she might as well go all the way. Besides, she could stack Weapon Skills, making it feel less like magic and more like a technique.
A single combo would be guaranteed to bring an ordinary enemy to its knees.
Added to the collection.
After some experimentation, Frieren confirmed the Bloodfiend's Arm was serviceable. Not a bad find.
Of course, the exaggerated stats mentioned in the player messages came from a fully upgraded weapon. Right now, she was short on Smithing Stones; resources were scarce. This also constrained her fighting style to that of a mage, since magic didn't require Smithing Stones for upgrades.
Using weapons was a bottomless resource sink.
Frieren's current plan was to focus on upgrading the Dark Moon Greatsword as her main weapon and use some leftover materials for her secondary weapons.
It was all Altus Plateau's fault.
The Leyndell, Royal Capital sat on the most fertile land and also produced the most Smithing Stone resources, leaving other regions with only scraps. Strictly speaking, the upgrade level of her weapons was lagging.
However, she had just made another find: [Ancient Dragon Somber Smithing Stone].
It was very precious and could significantly boost a weapon's enhancement level. And of course, from the Ghostflame Dragon, there was its corresponding: [Dragon Heart].
Could it be used in a Dragon Communion ritual to create a Ghostflame Dragon Communionist?
Hard to say.
There was no harm in trying later. True to her collector's philosophy, Frieren took it as well. Currently, the Southern Army's Dragon Communion legion was still developing vigorously, but even the appearance of large Magma Wyrms was not quite enough. There was a power gap compared to the hero-class soldiers of the Royal Capital. Having special Dragon Communionists would be better.
Unfortunately, the researchers at Stormveil Castle were still just researching, slowly restoring the lost Dragon Communion techniques.
It was originally stronger, with greater potential.
It shouldn't be the lost art it is today. It was said that the Storm-King's forces had Ancient Dragons to guide their Dragon Communion, which was perhaps the true form of the practice. Unfortunately, The Lands Between are vast, scoured by time, where could one even find a trace of the Ancient Dragons? They most likely reside in the city in the sky.
"Let's rest."
After looking around, Frieren found nothing else worthy of attention.
Hearing this, Melina obligingly started a fire. After continuous battles and travel, they could finally catch their breath. Even a body with the constitution of a Demigod needed to balance work and rest.
"Are you sure you're okay fighting at such a high intensity? If you get too tired, Miquella's charm might find an opening."
"The key isn't him. He's just a catalyst."
"In any case, you need to be careful."
"Mm..."
They both faced different situations, so they could only watch each other's condition and offer reminders.
Melina was not affected by the charm, due to a seal personally placed by The Eternal Queen Marika, a being of a higher order. Since it stemmed from the same source as Miquella's charm, its effect was greatly diminished.
Frieren's own resistance was actually unafraid of mental attacks, but unfortunately, she had an internal traitor—the will of an Old God—working against her from the inside.
That thing never went a day without trying to break its seal and possess its host's body.
This forced her to divert a sliver of her will to Yharnam, deep in the dreamscape, as a precaution. She was used to the constant back-and-forth struggle with it anyway.
The silver-haired girl rubbed her temples.
In a way, Melina's reminder was correct. Fighting at high intensity while under the effect of Miquella's charm was extremely dangerous.
Once things in the Land of Shadow were settled, she would first contact the garrison at Heath City, and then she would have to return to reality to rest for a while. After all, Frieren felt that Elf Town should remain on constant alert; sleeping for too long at one time wasn't safe.
With these thoughts, she closed her eyes and slept.
Sleeping directly in reality was risky due to the Old God's schemes, but in The Lands Between, in the world of souls, it was fine. On the contrary, these places allowed her to catch up on sleep, a rare chance to feel its relaxing embrace.
The next day.
Frieren, waking early, opened her bleary eyes. Beside her, Melina was looking over a map.
All the records of their journey so far were compiled in meticulous detail.
Noticing the silver-haired girl's questioning gaze, she answered, "After comparing everything, I've basically deduced that the Land of Shadow is located beneath the Altus Plateau, adjacent to the southern regions. When the two lands are connected in the future, the map will be useful."
Frieren stood up, stretching, and glanced north towards the Royal Capital.
"Still no stable, large-scale passage?"
"Correct."
"So the options haven't changed. Either take the ruined tunnels or the Grand Lift. The former is treacherous and narrow, the latter is blocked and heavily guarded."
"There's a reason the Leyndell, Royal Capital was built on the Altus Plateau. It ensures the capital is difficult for regional powers to threaten."
"That's a problem for later."
A Demigod always had more options. Even climbing the Altus Plateau single-handedly wouldn't be too difficult. It might be undignified, but any way up is a way. Transporting an army, however, would be a problem. If the monarch and the army were separated, the Royal Capital would have achieved its goal.
The towering walls of Leyndell were built precisely to stop armies.
In any case, Frieren was already prepared to start digging. Whether it was excavating the Grand Lift or widening the tunnels, there were always more solutions than problems. Melina had guessed as much, "My partner never lacks for wild ideas."
Even if one day her partner had a flash of inspiration and decided to blast a ramp into the side of the Altus Plateau, it wouldn't be surprising at all.
The two set off again.
Heading south from the Upper Lookdown Town and descending, a dilapidated building appeared within their range of perception.
Unlike the other crumbling ruins, this one was relatively intact, likely spared from monster attacks due to its secluded and small nature. It was even more remarkable that it survived in the Land of Shadow, especially since it enshrined Marika.
Being merely a shell of its former self was lucky; given the Horned Folk's attitude, they would not rest until every church of Marika was destroyed.
"I wonder how Mother is doing inside the Erdtree..."
Whenever she came to a church, Melina couldn't help but worry. The great queen had not been heard from to this day. There had been no news since the shattering of the Elden Ring, which was inevitably unsettling.
Frieren, on the other hand, was characteristically unconcerned.
She operated under the assumption that the Golden Dynasty was a web of countless conspiracies. Rather than worrying about who was safe, she preferred to carefully search for anything useful.
A shimmer of light!
She had finally found a decent-looking talisman since arriving in the Land of Shadow. It was shaped like an egg, carved with two hands holding a dewdrop, with the pattern of the Erdtree on its upper half.
The place was called the Church of Cherished Grace, and the talisman was called: [Cerulean Dewdrop of Cherished Grace].
[A talisman modeled after a dewdrop being received. Slowly restores FP.]
[It is said that in the past, the Dewdrops of Grace flowed without end.]
[That was a fleeting age of abundance.]
[And so the Golden Order became an object of faith.]
The description matched the intelligence provided by the Crusade Army, and it also aligned with the history circulating in The Lands Between, of a past age of astounding abundance.
The Blessing of Grace that Frieren learned from Miriel, the Turtle Pope, contained similar content. It was the real deal.
The effect was quite good.
As she equipped it, she felt her magic slowly recovering, which would reduce the need to constantly drink flasks or rest. Although her magic was theoretically infinite, that would inevitably draw upon the power of her other personas and create conflict.
Fundamentally, the magic an Astrologer possessed was rather limited.
With Miquella's charm drawing the attention of the Old God, it was better to have one less vulnerability.
____
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