Based on typical player experiences, there shouldn't be this many skeleton monsters.
Oh well.
Frieren had known for a long time that she wasn't playing in the same environment as regular players. The latter often had characters with somewhat crippled stats, and correspondingly, the enemies they faced were weaker.
Her own mechanics, however, fully matched her attribute panel.
Therefore, she constantly faced full-power bosses, frequently engaging in life-or-death struggles with god-like beings. Those grand, sweeping battles could level cities and destroy nations; unleashing her full strength was akin to a natural disaster. By the same token, common grunts preferred to rely on numbers, often attacking in swarms.
Thus, she quickly adapted to the human wave tactics employed by Those Who Live in Death. It was time for some covering firepower—
Holy-infused Farron Hail.
Frieren, having mastered the strengths of many schools, could already infuse specific spells with different attributes, not limited by their original form.
The silver-haired girl raised her staff while blocking with her shield, unleashing a torrent of magic. Compared to this massive arrow storm, the arrows fired by the skeletons earlier were as feeble as dandelion seeds.
The entire catacomb trembled. Magic arrows struck the walls and even ricocheted, spreading further damage. The fragile undead became mere targets, vanishing one after another.
Even so, their fierce disregard for death made them troublesome.
Godrick's soldiers would likely retreat, but these creatures only focused on the living.
"ROAR!"
The sight of the skeletons rushing forward, a dense black mass, was indeed visually striking, almost resembling the Deacons of the Deep in this enclosed space.
Against targets that liked to clump together, Frieren simply switched back to a warrior style, wielding a greatsword and cutting a swath through them. Only after a short while did things finally quiet down, the central hall of the tomb mostly cleared.
A large amount of Runes flowed into her.
Ordinary players were limited by the game's resource algorithms, preventing them from leveling up too much at once, but she had no such concerns.
However many monsters came, that's how many she'd take on, turning them all into enhancement experience. She actually welcomed it. Besides, a true powerhouse shouldn't be defeated purely by numbers. Adapting to the battlefield environment was always beneficial, and Frieren could already foresee future scenarios.
In reality, to counter the threat of the Demon race, various factions would sooner or later unite for a large-scale war.
In the 'game,' dominating the Lands Between would inevitably require several conquest campaigns.
Since she would eventually face combat amidst thousands of troops anyway, she might as well seize the opportunity to train.
The widest area was cleared. She temporarily set aside the direction of the suspected boss room and decided to search the surrounding nooks and crannies first, hoping to find some special items.
Whenever faced with progressing through dark, complex terrain, Frieren kept her 'player view' active:
[Watch out ahead, be careful on the left.]
[Ambush around the corner, curved sword skeleton.]
[Look up.]
[Archer aiming at you, behind the pillar.]
[Item glow on the stone platform.]
These various hints allowed the silver-haired girl to easily bypass traps, especially considering these were relatively low-level threats involving basic enemy formations – indeed quite easy.
Unlike those places that were practically cesspools, situations where Frieren truly felt stuck between a rock and a hard place. Those were unbearably stressful, pure torture.
Collecting her thoughts, she followed the guidance of a white phantom's message to a stone platform.
She didn't act hastily, instead carefully scanning the surroundings before feeling reassured, wary of anyone suddenly leaping out for a sneak attack. Once, Frieren had used a large weapon sweep to instantly kill a large monster, only to find two smaller hidden enemies collapsing behind it as it fell.
It was both infuriating and amusing.
Confirming it was safe, she picked up the sharp blade from the platform. It had significant weight – a single-edged sword with a wavy temper line on the blade.
Acquired [Uchigatana]. Comes with Ash of War: Unsheathe.
[An Ash of War inherited from the swordsmen of the Land of Reeds. Sheathe the blade at the waist, assume a stance, then unleash a high-speed slash that can inflict blood loss.]
Such a familiar weapon. For Frieren, it felt like regaining a familiar touch.
Currently, her best parrying tool.
She wasn't primarily a warrior, so wielding a weapon served more for defense, supplementary mid-range attacks, or executing critical hits. This was perfect now, far more useful than the random straight swords found lying around – an unexpected delight.
The silver-haired girl swung the katana single-handedly a few times, adapting to its weight. Slashing, chopping, and thrusting felt fluid and natural.
Since it was so useful, she might as well replace her shield with it. Blocking with a katana followed the same principle, while also offering offensive capability. It seemed she was indeed growing more into her title.
[My past life memories from Ashina have awakened!]
[It's back, it's all back!]
[A decent early-game weapon.]
Player evaluations held the most value. If they deemed something weak, it definitely was. Otherwise, it likely had some merit.
Frieren continued scanning the vicinity but found no other skeleton monsters. It seemed the cleanup was mostly complete, basically a total wipe. However, the corruption from These Who Live in Death was significant, intensely hostile towards ordinary people – one of the seals suppressing life in the Lands Between.
The more negative effects present now, the more fertile the land would become after the Elden Ring's restoration.
After lingering for a moment, the silver-haired girl cautiously approached the final room. Unexpectedly, it was empty? Could there be no boss enemy—
Swoosh!
Suddenly, a gust of wind carrying a lethal power of death assaulted her from behind, making her scalp tingle.
In the nick of time, Frieren dashed forward, barely dodging the attack. Yet, the terrifying energy still siphoned away a portion of her life force.
Before her stood a tall woman in a hooded mask, clad in sleek silver armor. Her movements were ghostly and agile, and she tightly gripped a twisted dagger radiating an absolute aura of death. A Black Knife Assassin, wielding the power of the Rune of Death.
Simultaneously, a damaged health bar appeared in Frieren's vision. Judging by the opponent's aura, her condition was clearly far from perfect; she seemed heavily injured, practically on her last breath.
Frieren lowered her katana stance.
"What? Think I can't handle you just because I'm injured?"
"No. You're human, not a monster. There's no need for me to use excessive force. Besides, I have questions for you."
"Everyone in the Lands Between is interested in the Night of the Black Knives conspiracy. Are you seeking answers too? Or are you an executioner sent by the Golden Lineage?"
"I am Frieren, a Tarnished. Honestly, I suggest you seek treatment immediately. Using that blade in your current state will only hasten your death; it's no different from suicide."
"Tarnished? No, you're just a running dog of the Golden Order! My name is Auluo, and I am the one who will kill you."
She lunged forward, dagger flashing towards Frieren's throat
A simple Ash of War, yet executed with her nimble figure, it carried immense threat.
In an instant, she was upon Frieren, a powerful strike aimed straight for her throat. Even the debilitating effect of the Rune of Death didn't impair her exquisite combat instincts from targeting the enemy's vital points, usually succeeding without fail.
However, the silver-haired girl abruptly blocked with her shield. The force of the rebound aggravated Auluo's internal injuries, causing her body to tremble uncontrollably and forcing her down onto one knee. Damn it, I'm done for.
Unexpectedly, Frieren followed up with a shield bash and a kick, treating it almost like a critical hit execution.
"Are you insulting me?"
The Black Knife Assassin was enraged.
…
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