The chill wind howled, forcefully blocking the fiery breath. Even a dragon's exhalation struggled to overcome Frieren's battle art.
As effective as ever.
This cold, however, proved troublesome for the warrior jar, Alexander. He felt as if his body was about to crack; such a drastic change in physical state was unbearable. He had to retreat some distance.
"My apologies, Your Majesty, I'm temporarily unable to provide cover!"
Before his voice faded, the Magma Wyrm, always picking on the soft targets, lunged forward like an ambushing beast.
He watched as Frieren immediately moved to assist. However, as she raised the overly large Grafted Blade Greatsword, it snagged on the rocks hanging from above, her movement a beat too slow.
This momentary gap allowed the Magma Wyrm's claws to nearly hook the warrior jar.
Bang!
In the nick of time, the Grafted Blade Greatsword flew up and struck the claw. In that instant, the silver-haired girl had let go, allowing the greatsword to fall, then kicked it out – every action was unexpected.
Moreover, acting like a shuriken, it precisely severed one of the Magma Wyrm's fingers, causing it to recoil repeatedly in pain. The agony of fingers connected to the heart; blood flowed unceasingly.
Frieren strode forward and raised her sword.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, but that was a disgraceful display, an insult to the name of a warrior! I can't afford to be negligent any longer!"
Alexander flexed his wrists a few times, his aura imposing. Cold or hot, what did it matter? How could he miss the chance to fight alongside a demigod today? He decided then and there: in the future, he would train in magma to truly be called a powerhouse.
Since her temporary teammate had made his decision, Frieren relaxed her mana control.
She was quite happy to witness how the people of the Lands Between fought. Besides, they would soon be participating in the Combat Festival together; a little prior coordination was always better than hindering each other.
Although, fighting solo versus fighting with teammates were both distinctive features of hers.
Shaking its head, the Magma Wyrm roused itself again.
After repeatedly crashing into walls, it no longer underestimated its opponents and launched an attack. At this moment, the two, like a myriad of stardust, stared intently at it. But there was an opening!
Whoosh!
It suddenly spat a jet of flame, reducing its power to ensure a surprise attack – fast and swift, aiming to first eliminate the fire-breathing warrior jar. Unexpectedly, a figure dashed out from amidst the flames. It was Alexander, gleaming with high heat, lunging forward, his powerful fist delivering a mighty uppercut from below its chin.
The force rushing to its brain made the Magma Wyrm stumble in confusion.
Immediately after, Frieren dropped from the ceiling, landing on her blade which pierced its thick tail, creating a gaping wound.
Her movements were too fast; it couldn't even see her move before the sharp pain struck. But as a Magma Wyrm, its defenses still held. With the desperate resolve to twist off its own tail, it leaped upwards violently, smashing the silver-haired girl's body into the rock wall.
How about that?
However, as blue light flashed in the dust, the Magma Wyrm, greatly alarmed, rolled away to dodge.
A comet fell, smashing a deep pit into the ground, its edges smoking. It probably had enough force to pierce through a house.
Due to the Magma Wyrm's violent movements, the inside of the tunnel now rumbled continuously. Any part its body touched began to burn. Seizing this opportunity, the monster retreated into a cave.
Alexander quickly gave chase.
While he battled the Magma Wyrm, magical support rained down from above, repeatedly interrupting its counterattacks, infuriating it.
It was clear Frieren was intentionally "feeding" it moves, leaving the main battle to the warrior jar. But Alexander was overjoyed. This was exactly the kind of tempering he needed. As expected of the Soul-Kindling King's temperament; he was grateful.
Heavy fists landed one after another on the Magma Wyrm's face, causing it to stumble back.
Simultaneously, the silver-haired girl landed unscathed.
"Well? Was that a satisfying fight?"
"Many thanks, Your Majesty! Consider this a warm-up before the Combat Festival. I imagine the Starscourge General will be a hundred times stronger."
"What comes next will be more troublesome. Stay clear."
Frieren pointed distantly at the Magma Wyrm bathing in its fiery lair, its aura even stronger than before.
At this moment, Alexander understood. To avoid further damage to the tunnel, the Magma Wyrm had retreated to its own lair, the most spacious battle stage, which also meant it was its absolute home ground.
Even if it increased the difficulty, Gael Tunnel had to be preserved, because this place determined the transport security of Limgrave's border.
"ROAR!"
The Magma Wyrm, feeling the abundant heat, grew greatly confident, becoming even more frenzied.
Demigod or not, it no longer cared. Its mind was filled with only one thought: devour. Ever since consuming the dragon heart, its soul had been completely transformed. It didn't matter. It would use this momentum to crush the enemy in one go, to eat the intruders!
Flames seemed to flow all over the Magma Wyrm's body, causing the ground to steam unceasingly. The air temperature rose continuously, moisture evaporating, to the point where even sweat couldn't form.
Its current majesty was unstoppable.
However, Alexander still stood ready, unflinching even in the face of such a powerful foe.
"This fellow is merely Caelid refuse! If I can't even get past this, what talk is there of a Combat Festival?"
"Well said. Then let's make it quick and not delay."
Frieren held a greatsword in one hand, while the tip of the staff in her other hand lit up with a purplish-gold magical energy, coalescing into a ball. In an instant, a vortex swirled within the space, aiming for the target, trapping it. Even if it desperately clung to the ground, it was useless.
Gravity Well.
Simple gravity magic, yet under her ultimate control, it transformed into a super vortex, pulling at the Magma Wyrm's massive body, causing it to lose balance.
It shrieked in panic but was utterly unable to resist this gravitational force.
Even Alexander, with all his experience, was dumbfounded. But there was no time for shock. Seeing the Magma Wyrm being pulled towards him, he gathered all his strength and threw a straight punch, enhanced by his battle art—
Rolling power poured into the Magma Wyrm's head. Blood and magma flowed from its mouth; it saw stars.
The silver-haired girl's greatsword was waiting.
The moment she pressed down on the target's head, she simultaneously launched an execution attack. The completely incapacitated monster was sliced with a creak, creating a large gash. Its energy rapidly drained; it was in imminent danger.
Unwilling to give up, the Magma Wyrm's two claws seized the Grafted Blade Greatsword, simultaneously curling its body to let its scales jam the weapon.
An ordinary warrior, seeing this move, would surely reveal an opening.
Unexpectedly, Frieren smoothly released her grip and condensed a new type of magic with her staff:
Haima Cannon.
The blue stone-like projectile of energy struck its head. The ultimate violent aesthetics and explosion crushed the hard scales and skull, its momentum undiminished, continuing its impact until the massive dragon head vanished into thin air. A tattered body collapsed amidst the flames.
The temperature immediately dropped, and the coolness unique to underground caves returned. Simultaneously, the Magma Wyrm's body continuously dissipated.
Only a heart remained:
[Fruit of a Dragon Hunt—Dragon Heart]
[An unusual item mixed with rubble, still pulsing.]
[An offering required for the ritual known as "Dragon Communion."]
[Devour this at an altar to make the power of a dragon one's own.]
[That form is terrifying and barbaric, yet also exceedingly beautiful.]
Stormveil Castle had collected many such items; otherwise, where would the Dragon Communion troops have come from? So, it wasn't rare.
Frieren was more interested in the blade deeper in the cave.
The demise of such a massive creature like the Magma Wyrm brought a shock to Alexander. He clenched his fists, savoring that power for a long time. Yes, that's the spirit! This is how one should fight, upholding the honor of a Warrior Jar!
Only when he came back to his senses did he notice the silver-haired girl circling the dragon heart and scattered dragon remains, searching for loot.
"You don't mind?"
"It's alright. Her Majesty was the main force anyway, and I don't need weapons."
"I can't let you exert yourself for nothing. Since the wishes of those traitors are now yours, consider it getting stronger in preparation for the Combat Festival."
This statement indeed convinced Alexander.
The battle in Gael Tunnel reminded him that the Lands Between was full of masters. He couldn't get complacent just because of a little fame. To truly make his name known, he had to achieve more merits. What would happen at the upcoming Combat Festival? He was truly looking forward to it.
Frieren, in treasure-hunting mode, paid no attention to her surroundings. After a final check, she headed towards the gleam of a weapon.
[Moonveil]
[A katana forged from glintstone, a masterpiece by a swordsmith of Sellia.]
[When sheathed, the blade emits light, hence the name "Moon-veiled."]
[Exclusive Ash of War: Transient Moonlight]
[Sheathe the blade in an instant, a stance-based skill where one remains motionless.]
[After activation, follow with a light or heavy attack to unleash a high-speed slash along with a wave of light.]
A weapon with an exclusive Ash of War was clearly of extraordinary quality. Her interest piqued, she quickly took it out, swung it a few times, and found it felt much stronger than an Uchigatana – sharp and light, yet also sturdy enough.
The silver-haired girl initially performed a few sword flourishes and stances. It suited her well. Since her two executioner blades couldn't be used frequently, Moonveil was an excellent replacement.
How does the Ash of War perform?
Frieren gripped the hilt, condensing mana in an Iai stance, then fiercely swung out a flash of sword light.
Clack!
It easily sliced through the rock in front of her, and without using much energy – just the minimum output of the Ash of War itself. This was a lightwave attack.
The weapon most adaptable to various sword styles from the Land of Reeds in the Lands Between had arrived. It couldn't be more suitable, just perfect. For her, performance wasn't a necessity; the key was compatibility. Her skills could be further amplified.
Of course, to avoid misjudgment, Frieren checked the messages on the ground:
[Straight ahead to Fort Gael.]
[Just a fat dragon, easy as pie.]
[Ate the dragon heart, but the Dragon Communion incantations don't feel strong enough. Far from the dragon transformation I imagined.]
[Gameplay and story are two different things. You can't actually transform into a dragon.]
Frieren had researched the power of dragon transformation. Although not suitable for herself, she could control its use to some extent through dragon hearts. This technological gap was too large; it would be great if an Ancient Dragon could perfect it.
However, Flamme was also researching it. Reversing dragon transformation through soul magic was a good line of thought. With her talent, she would figure something out sooner or later.
There should be more to gain at the Great Church of Dragon Communion in Caelid, whether for strengthening Magma Wyrms or teaching disciples.
Now, she was more focused on the weapon's evaluation:
[The trade-off between strength and aesthetics has always been so difficult, but Moonveil has both. What are you waiting for? Equip it immediately, become a sword master, and dominate the Lands Between!]
[Perfect with talismans that increase damage when adopting specific stances!]
[Ashes of War that can emit lightwaves are rare to begin with, and its damage is commendable. It's in my permanent weapon rotation now.]
[Not quite a 'wheelchair,' but very useful. You can clear the game with it.]
[Instantly transform into a greatsword user!]
[Iai—!]
[High poise damage in the early game, and it comes with bleed, scaling with Intelligence. If you're a mage who wants to melee, this is the undisputed choice. The Ash of War has both vertical and horizontal slashes, adaptable to various situations. With high reinforcement, it can last for more than one playthrough.]
[Quickly break stance then go for an execution. Sends them off in a few moves. The rhythm is too satisfying!]
[The Dark Moon Greatsword in the mid to late game follows a similar logic, but Moonveil is indeed more convenient early on. As long as you gear up properly, the damage is sufficient.]
...It seemed she hadn't chosen wrong.
Frieren basically confirmed this weapon was usable, especially suited for swordsmanship. Compared to it, the Grafted Blade Greatsword was too cumbersome.
Greatswords were suitable for dealing damage to large targets.
Normally, when fighting strong humanoid enemies, a staff in one hand and a longsword in the other was her stance with the highest margin for error.
After some calculation, the silver-haired girl sheathed the katana, deciding to replace her Uchigatana with it as her standard weapon. When necessary, it could absolutely be used in high-level combat. After all, even her highest-damage dual-staff form wasn't maintained constantly.
Meanwhile.
Alexander finished collecting the enemies' corpses. The two, having obtained their loot, beamed with joy.
For safety, they exited the tunnel together onto the surface, a land of crimson.
"Is Your Majesty going to Redmane Castle together?"
"No, I need to travel around the Caelid region first. You go ahead. I'll arrive later; I won't miss it."
"It's rumored you intend to conquer this land and simultaneously clear the corruption. Is it true?"
"Of course, it's true. And I've already found a way to absorb the Scarlet Rot. But Caelid has a huge source of contamination; its spread must be suppressed first." Frieren frowned.
"I know what you're looking for." Hearing this, Alexander clapped his hands. "The Lake of Aeonia has accumulated a vast amount of corrupt energy over the years, tormenting all surrounding life. It is Caelid's greatest wound."
"I've heard of it before. It has affected the ecological environment of a large surrounding area."
"However, there are traces of Haligtree activity there, wary of all outsiders. Their strength is not to be underestimated."
"Thanks for the reminder."
"With Her Majesty's skills, I don't need to worry. I'll be on my way then."
With that, Alexander left as boldly as he had arrived, heading straight for Redmane Castle. He would surely arrive in one go.
In contrast to him, Frieren now needed to advance her exploration of the Caelid region steadily and surely. For example, Fort Gael, suitable as a frontline position for the Southern Army, was just ahead.
Torrent carried the silver-haired girl, galloping swiftly from the tunnel entrance to their destination.
So quiet.
Unexpectedly, Fort Gael was not as bustling as a typical military fortress. Instead, it gave off a feeling of utter silence. What met the eye was even more dilapidated and decaying.
I was originally planning to greet the Redmane soldiers.
Thinking about it, even Gael Tunnel was filled with traitors, Blood Nobles, and monsters. How much better could the fort be? The situation was unlikely to be good. She had to be prepared for battle, because her mana perception had already detected hostility.
Frieren gazed into the distance. Below the city walls, Flame Chariots patrolled continuously.
They were still diligently carrying out their orders, incinerating any corrupted creatures or any living thing they encountered with jets of flame.
The fort entrance was blocked.
Besides these, some large corrupted wolfhounds and crows, having heard the commotion, had gone there, showing great interest in this structure...
Joining in the "grand event," are we?
Compared to the monsters in Limgrave, which preferred to roam specific areas and were reclusive, Caelid's corrupted creatures were much more active, brimming with curiosity.
Even Frieren had to admire their seemingly inexhaustible energy.
To be precise, they could no longer be called monsters, because years of Scarlet Rot had completely transformed the surrounding life. In a way, they were a new type of organism, just with too many defects and causing endless harm.
The laws of the Lands Between were tolerant, but there were always some fundamentally undermining elements that could not be allowed to remain.
On this point, Frieren and Marika were in agreement.
She couldn't see any Redmane soldiers. Unless those heavily Hollowed monster-soldiers counted.
Melina pointed to the top of the fort. "It's said there's a teleportation gate leading to Redmane Castle. If it's you, you could directly reach the Combat Festival site."
"No need."
"Is your target the Lake of Rot?"
The silver-haired girl nodded, which made Melina even more worried. Although Frieren had demonstrated strong resistance to Scarlet Rot, the Lake of Aeonia was practically flowing, living rot. She didn't know what consequences rash contact might bring.
However, Melina had already promised to trust her partner, so she would witness it first.
After observing and confirming the situation, Frieren charged into battle on horseback. In open terrain, there was no need for restraint; she would cover the area with magical power.
Ancient Death Rancor!
A dense black mass of skulls materialized in the air, howling as they pounced on the monsters around Fort Gael, like a cloud of smoke, a black cloud pressing down on the city. None of them would escape.
Besides the magic's inherent homing capabilities, Frieren's spiritual perception assisted.
In a fleeting glance, she saw invisible monsters, crows taking flight, and panicked Flame Chariots, but all of them...
Faced with the vast legion of vengeful souls, they didn't even have time to dodge.
BOOM!
Amidst an unending series of explosions, the skulls struck their targets.
Logically, corrupted creatures should be more resilient, but Frieren's attack focused on soul magic's destructive power. No matter what kind of corrupted creature, they would disintegrate, annihilated in one move, falling like reaped wheat.
Simultaneously, she drew her Snow Tower Greatbow, arrow after arrow felling the circling crows.
One person suppressing an army.
The battlefield dominance of a sorceress was interpreted to its fullest by her.
The main attacks all landed outside the walls of Fort Gael. The corrupted creatures there fell without exception, vanishing in an instant. Utterly powerless to resist, most didn't even see the silver-haired girl ascending the slope before being destroyed – it was ultra-long-range sniping.
Frieren avoided the fort itself. After all, it had to be left for the Southern Army to garrison, and it wasn't just some small mark on a map; it was quite sizable.
High walls, thick gates, situated in the mountains, guarding the border between two lands – enough to serve as a stronghold for tens of thousands of troops.
"Be careful, there are many monsters in the fort," Melina, who had been observing the battlefield, reminded her. "This place has become a corrupted stronghold."
"It's the handiwork of the Mohgwyn Dynasty."
The two watched as several Blood Nobles fled in disarray.
Looking across the Lands Between, probably no one would be willing to fight a defensive battle against the Soul-Kindling King. That would be seeking one's own doom.
The title of "Strongest Sorcerer" belonged to the Shardbearer. Fighting her in her area of expertise was simply fatal. Looking back at these few key battles, when had Frieren not caused the most massive destruction?
Time to slip away.
Only a fool would linger in battle. The Blood Nobles, Bloody Fingers, and corrupted retainers, having made up their minds, packed up and fled, not even giving a chance for pursuit, taking their men and running in a vast, disorganized retreat.
Even Melina was speechless watching this. She hadn't expected them to be so easily routed.
"Don't pursue. Although they're definitely up to no good, chasing them alone lacks coordination. Wait for the main army."
"That's what I was planning. Besides, if I don't leave some achievements for the Southern Army, they'll be unhappy."
"You're becoming more and more considerate."
"But the numbers... Are they planning to organize an army?" Frieren, while maintaining her magic, observed the enemy's movements and judged, "They want to fight a full-scale war with me in Caelid, to disrupt Limgrave's recovery momentum."
"Not only that. The demigod behind the Mohgwyn Dynasty must be eyeing your Great Rune, and even Tagu's. Be careful not to let them pick up the spoils."
Despite saying this, Melina didn't think her partner was the type to be overly cautious.
Would she not fight just because someone behind the scenes might snatch the prize?
No.
On the contrary, she would fight even more fiercely, directly eliminating all of them. The schemers lurking in the shadows had already lost in terms of spirit. With Frieren's personality, she would probably calmly accept a battle of attrition or even being outnumbered.
She didn't know what kind of adventures the Tarnished had experienced outside the Lands Between, but it was likely she had been alone, facing strong enemies by herself being the most common scenario.
As the two spoke, the fleeing traitors left behind hundreds of corpses. Even a corner of the city wall had collapsed.
Their retreat was too hasty; they didn't even have time to set a fire.
Those fleeing in a streak in the distance numbered in the thousands. Once organized, their numbers would definitely exceed this. Caelid was in turmoil.
Frieren sighed.
The Stormhawk, which had been circling high above on standby, swiftly descended. After she quickly wrote a letter and entrusted it to the hawk, the loyal messenger spread its wings and flew off, heading towards the Limgrave region at top speed.
It would guide the main Southern Army to take over Fort Gael, securing it as a bridgehead.
Frieren, watching the Stormhawk depart, murmured, "I haven't received any contact from the Redmane Army, and so many enemies have infiltrated. I'm afraid the situation is not good."
"It should be because they're withdrawing troops for the Combat Festival."
"Let's hope so."
Melina said, "Redmane Castle is easy to defend and hard to attack, impregnable. It should be able to stabilize the surrounding areas. In other words, Castellan Jerren has also relinquished some control, which explains how the Mohgwyn Dynasty's forces could infiltrate."
"Regardless, let's take Fort Gael first. With this frontline position, we'll have freedom in both offense and defense."
The spirit steed broke into a run, swiftly carrying them from the hillside to the entrance.
What greeted her eyes was an overturned Flame Chariot, looking savage and terrifying. But Frieren noticed a gleam of light.
Thanks to the help of her map module, otherwise, she might have missed a treasure.
She quickly walked over, picked up a scroll, on which a line of text was written:
[Flame, Grant Me Strength]
[One of the incantations of the fire-practicing martial monks, belonging to a higher-tier incantation.]
[Ignite a flame within oneself, transforming it into power, able to increase physical attack power and fire-affinity attack power.]
[This incantation will burn the practitioner themself, thus it is listed as a forbidden art by the watchers.]
Snap!
True to her belief in practice, Frieren immediately condensed flames in her hand, then lightly patted her chest. Sure enough, a raging fire ignited.
Melina beside her couldn't help but facepalm. So bold. She has to experiment with any strange magic or incantation she sees, without a moment's delay. She wasn't worried that ordinary flames would burn a demigod to death; the crucial point was that the Tarnished's attributes were rapidly increasing.
Truly worthy of being a power forbidden by the Fire Monks.
_____
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