"You must be Tarnished, then? Come to seek the Elden Ring, have you?"
The White Mask spoke first, initiating the conversation. Frieren, adhering to basic courtesy, responded calmly, only for the man's tone to shift abruptly.
"A pity... You are maidenless. Without guidance, without the strength of runes, and without invitation to the Roundtable Hold... You are fated, it seems, to die in obscurity."
Did I do something to offend you?
The silver-haired girl felt a flicker of annoyance but quickly dismissed it. The man before her didn't possess any significant magical aura; besides, such petty provocations meant nothing to an elf. She paid little mind to the recruitment pitch that followed his insults.
First, demean them with scorn, then extend an olive branch – a common enough tactic. However, something else demanded her attention more urgently:
A gaze, locking onto her from nearby.
It belonged to a towering soldier clad in golden armor, wielding a long-handled weapon and a greatshield. An aura of immense weight emanated from him, a blend of sharp deadliness and unyielding defense. He sat astride a warhorse, itself armored, its defined musculature hinting at both speed and agility.
The sheer dominance of cavalry was perfected in him. His keen eyes had spotted Frieren, a being brimming with high magical energy, even from a distance.
He's strong.
Frieren assessed him: At minimum, a top-tier knight, perhaps even possessing the combat prowess of a hero.
"By order of the Grace-Given Lord, I am here to extinguish all flames of ambition."
Hearing this, Frieren knew a fight was inevitable. After encountering friendly and neutral figures, it was only natural for an enemy to appear; the preceding ease had felt almost too comfortable.
"Wait," Melina's slightly anxious voice echoed in her ear. "That's a Tree Sentinel. Even in Leyndell, the Royal Capital, he'd be considered formidable. You're definitely no match for him right now. It would be best to avoid him."
"It's alright. Leave it to me."
Frieren leaped down from the slope, landing solidly on the ground below. Her stance was as firm as a warrior's, her feet planted like tree roots – a testament to her well-rounded training across various disciplines, leaving no weaknesses.
Just as expected, a health bar materialized in her vision, accompanied by dramatic music and a line of text: Tree Sentinel.
"Foolish Tarnished. You will soon realize the depth of your ignorance."
To the golden-armored knight, a fragile-looking mage on foot charging him was suicidal. Fine, he thought, today's work will be easy. With a kick to his mount's flank, he spurred it into a charge. In an instant, a howling gale erupted as horse and rider surged forward like a living battering ram.
Yet, the target remained motionless.
Then the Golden Halberd will suffice! Its razor edge swept horizontally, thrusting precisely toward the enemy. Unexpectedly, the silver-haired girl executed a light, airy leap, dodging the blow.
A coincidence? His next attack followed instantly, combining with the horse's momentum for a faster downward smash.
Again, Frieren hopped aside, evading it cleanly.
When facing a new opponent, she generally preferred observing their attack patterns first, prioritizing caution. The Tree Sentinel was proving to be a perfect demonstration of the combat style prevalent in the Lands Between.
"Tarnished! Are you mocking me? You will die for this!"
Glintstone Pebble.
She launched a tentative shot, only for it to be deflected by his shield. Immediately, with a powerful swing, he somehow parried the spell back at her. Just as the pebble was about to strike, Frieren employed the same tactic, leaping aside. The magical energy grazed past, stirring her clothes and lifting her long hair.
It didn't hinder her in the slightest as she repositioned, preparing an attack from a blind spot, difficult to block.
Throughout the exchange, the elven mage remained utterly composed, handling even this sudden counter with practiced ease.
Conversely, the Tree Sentinel, his confident gambit having failed, felt a growing unease. The rhythm of the battle had fallen completely under his opponent's control.
This novice Tarnished didn't feel overwhelmingly powerful in a raw sense, but rather possessed combat skills honed to perfection through countless trials. Her technique was flawless in every aspect: strength, dexterity, speed, and perception.
I can't hit her.
After unleashing a veritable storm of attacks, he hadn't even managed to graze her clothing. Sweat beaded on the Tree Sentinel's brow.
What kind of monster emerged from the Chapel of Anticipation?
"Is that about it? Are these all the tricks you have?"
The long-unfelt exertion was exhilarating for Frieren. The tension, absent in her elven village, was back – the true atmosphere of battle. Attacks whizzed past, each demanding a life-or-death calculation. Though it resembled a game, it was never mere play.
Raising her staff, she aimed again, still using the relatively weak Glintstone Pebble. Yet, from cunning angles, each shot found its mark, steadily chipping away at his health bar.
Damn it!
Realizing his vitality was draining, the Tree Sentinel grew frantic. He hadn't expected the silver-haired girl to fight solely with such low-tier magic. Was all that potent magical energy she radiated just for show?
He couldn't know that Frieren was simply seizing the opportunity to practice and adapt to this world's abilities.
"I serve the Grace-Given Lord! I will fulfill my duty! Tarnished, only one of us leaves this place today!"
With that vow, he spurred his horse forward again, lowering his body and using the magic-deflecting shield as armor, charging head-on. It was an effective tactic against mages – closing the distance forced a melee, where he held the advantage.
Unexpectedly, however, Frieren's staff vanished, replaced in her hand by a straight sword.
Though many of her former abilities were sealed, her equipment was less affected, especially lower-level gear. Producing a sword wasn't difficult.
Let's end this! The Tree Sentinel charged with all his might.
Clang!
The mage parried the Golden Halberd with her small shield.
The sight was so astounding it left the spectral Melina and the distant Varré utterly speechless. Is that even possible?
There was no hidden mechanic at play. In this game world, so akin to reality, the most fundamental principle was physical attributes. Sufficient strength allowed one to parry an enormous weapon with a small shield. The force of the rebound nearly staggered the Tree Sentinel.
Immediately following the parry, the sharp sword slashed across the warhorse's belly. Blood spurted, rapidly draining its life.
"Torrent."
Summoning her spectral steed, Frieren's mobility now surpassed her weakened foe's. She boldly engaged in close-quarters combat, her straight sword weaving a constant dance of damage.
Strike the horse before the rider. After a swift combo, the Tree Sentinel's mount collapsed, dead.
The knight had no time to grieve. The silver-haired girl leaped from Torrent's back, nimbly dodging the Golden Halberd mid-air. Her blade found a gap in his helmet and thrust inward with a sickening crunch.
The critical hit, combined with the accumulated damage, was too much. The golden soldier sank to one knee, his form gradually dissipating.
"Long-eared Tarnished... you are an enemy of the Erdtree... A pity I cannot report this to my lord..."
With a final murmur, his figure dissolved into particles of white light.
Frieren switched back to her staff. "My starting stats are still too low. I need to prepare more options, otherwise these fights take too long."
Elves normally shouldn't care about speed, but the game was subtly changing her. After all, drawing out fights against enemies invited unforeseen trouble, and some opportunities, once missed, were lost forever.
[Golden Halberd Acquired]
[A weapon crafted from gold, imbued with holy affinity. Considerably heavy, but powerful. Likely too difficult for an ordinary person to wield effectively.]
[Default Skill: Golden Vow]
It was the first new weapon she had obtained since arriving in the Lands Between.
________
✨ Hello, dear readers of Wancheng Funeral Parlor! 💖 This is the newest release from our beloved Funeral Parlor, a translation we were soooo excited to launch! We're counting on your Reviews and Power Stones to help us on this journey! Yahoooooo! ✨
We'll release an extra chapter 🎁 for every 5 reviews!
Orrrrr for every 100 Power Stones! Come on, come on, come on! The Director has gone crazyyyy! 🤪🔥
Let's go, let's go! 🎉 Want 40 advanced chapters and stories before they hit the web novel? ✨
✨ SUPPORT US HERE! ✨
👇👇👇
💖✨ patreon.com/Walnutchan ✨💖 <- 40 advanced chapters!