Only after leaving the immediate vicinity of Stormveil Castle did one realize the vastness of Limgrave.
Even with Torrent's speed, which surpassed any swift horse Frieren knew, it still took a day and a half of travel to reach the Summonwater Village area.
As for Auluo, she unfortunately had to keep up on foot, but the Black Knife Assassin trusted her own abilities; traveling quickly was no issue for her.
"Saintsbridge is ahead."
Hearing this, Frieren tightened the reins and halted. Encountering such places often led to ambushes, so she unhesitatingly used a wide-range magic sense, simultaneously checking with her player view to confirm safety.
"I sense a large number of Those Who Live in Death in the distance."
"Correct. Many skeleton monsters dwell there, controlled by a powerful entity called the Tibia Mariner. It first destroyed a village and now attacks travelers along the road."
Even Auluo sounded wary; undead monsters were troublesome, and it was generally a bad matchup for her.
They continued forward, crossing Saintsbridge and speeding along for a good distance. Suddenly, they saw a corpse ahead, with a man in masked armor standing beside it. He noticed them as well.
A Black Knife Assassin!
The iconic armor and the tall stature characteristic of the Numen race were unmistakable. And seemingly serving as an attendant?
"Hello, I am Frieren, a Tarnished."
"I am D. I hunt Those Who Live in Death to acquire Deathroot. Your destination seems to be the village ahead. The infestation there is severe; it's best to stay clear if you value your life."
"No need to worry. I'm heading there specifically to hunt them down. Allowing undead monsters to spread throughout the Lands Between is definitely not a good thing."
Frieren casually released a thread of her hidden magical aura, no longer suppressing it but letting it flow out. Because she usually focused on restraining her magic to hone control, the burst of pressure when released briefly was even more potent.
Although D wore a mask, his shock was still palpable.
No wonder she could subdue a Black Knife Assassin; she truly possesses great skill. It was presumptuous of me to try and stop her.
"You intend to defeat the Mariner?"
"Yes."
"Please allow me to accompany you. If the opportunity arises, I'd like to observe them closely for research purposes. I can also help you clear out some of the lesser undead."
"I don't mind an extra helper. Let's go."
Along the way, the two exchanged information about the Limgrave region. When D learned Frieren hadn't yet visited the Roundtable Hold, he immediately offered to recommend her, extending an invitation on behalf of the Tarnished of the Great Grace.
Frieren naturally agreed to this warm offer, but now wasn't the time. She needed to establish herself first. Besides, the Sir Gideon Ofnir D mentioned didn't sound like an easy person to deal with.
So, Frieren planned to continue striving for a while longer, securing a foothold before considering future steps.
Moreover, she needed to grasp the basic combat power level of the Lands Between before taking unnecessary risks.
"They're coming."
Auluo, beside her, gave a warning. Not far ahead lay a pool of water dotted with the ruins of a village. It looked like it might have been prosperous once, but now countless Those Who Live in Death roamed about, howling at the sky in droves. Deeper within, the faint figure of a skeleton sitting in a boat could be seen.
They were extremely sensitive to the presence of the living and immediately came stumbling and staggering towards them, an overwhelming malice directed at the living washing over the area.
This open-air skeleton legion looked much stronger than the ones in the catacombs.
The next moment, Auluo and D split left and right, charging out. Dagger and greatsword swept forth. The undead monsters disintegrated upon contact, rapidly crumbling against methods specifically designed to counter them.
But their strength had always been in numbers.
The Mariner in the rear roared, commanding its army to split formation. The rear ranks provided long-range covering fire, while the front line bunched up tightly to obstruct the enemy's path as much as possible.
With this level of coordination, the threat posed by Those Who Live in Death increased severalfold. Even D and Auluo began to struggle somewhat...
Rumble!
Frieren's tried-and-true large-scale firepower coverage once again shone brilliantly in her hands.
As long as her blue bar held out, she could attack relentlessly. Magic infused with the holy attribute formed into orbs that floated outwards, instantly disintegrating any skeleton they touched along the path. Even the ruins were blasted into rubble; explosions filled the entire field of vision.
Then, she strode forward like a meteor towards the depths, her staff never ceasing its movements, attacking at high speed while advancing as if walking through an empty battlefield.
Her figure was unstoppable.
Even D, experienced in dealing with Those Who Live in Death, had never witnessed such a scene. It was pure, overwhelming violence!
He had a close comrade, Rogier, who was a sorcerer, but he absolutely couldn't achieve this level. It wasn't merely a difference in the amount of magic power, but a vast, irreconcilable difference in their level of mastery.
Wait, could she be that Tarnished whose fame is rapidly rising?
Before he could ponder further, the silver-haired girl had already engaged the Tibia Mariner in a long-range firepower exchange. In the blink of an eye, the swarming skeleton monsters submerged her figure, temporarily obscuring her from view.
D turned his attention back to the enemies before him, knowing full well there was no need to worry about someone of her caliber.
Deep within Summonwater Village.
Bloodstains littered the ground. Activating them revealed several white phantoms rolling about; some were even crushed by attacks coming from diagonal angles above. The diverse death replays reminded Frieren that a formidable enemy lay ahead, one not easily dealt with.
Their character performance is too poor, restricted by the water.
Furthermore, regional mobs excelled at catching players off guard, exploiting weaknesses. Many players had lost a significant amount of Runes here, shedding bitter tears of frustration.
Frieren's feet were also planted in the pond, muck beneath occasionally spawning skeleton monsters. Yet, they couldn't even touch her; they disintegrated automatically upon contact with the hem of her clothes. A protective aura of holy energy surrounded her – simple and direct.
Simultaneously, a health bar appeared in her player view, clearly indicating a regional boss level enemy, worthy of attention.
The Mariner paddled furiously, its boat moving with surprising speed, easily dodging several Soul Arrows. Its skeletal face seemed to twitch, as if in mockery.
As expected, the difficulty lies in the environment.
Now, she was the one with insufficient mobility. Standing still like a turret was extremely dangerous for a mage. In the Mariner's eyes, she was already dead, perhaps not even worth attacking directly – letting the skeletons surround and tear her apart would suffice.
Crack!
A sweeping blast of magic evaporated the surrounding monsters. Immediately following this, numerous Swift Glintstone Shards rained down upon it. Amidst the rumbling, its health bar steadily decreased; the opponent was clearly stunned.
Limited by a mere pond environment? Don't be ridiculous. I've fought in cesspools more than once.
Frieren coldly unleashed attacks, firing at a frequency so high it seemed like a continuous line.
The enraged Mariner moved at full speed, dodging several shots, finally finding a moment's respite. It immediately paddled, causing the boat's hull to lift and charge forward. This move made even the silver-haired girl raise an eyebrow in surprise.
A straightforward charge with absolute mass, like a war chariot, forcing all targets back.
Clang!
Suddenly, the necromancer's vision spun wildly. The immense impact force transmitted from the bottom of the boat made it feel as if it had collided with an ancient dragon; the power was terrifying.
Barely managing to stabilize the boat, it saw the silver-haired girl holding her katana horizontally with one hand. Her sharp presence was imposing, perfectly composed. Its supposedly fatal attack had completely missed.
The katana! She parried it with a katana?!
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