Frieren had planned to catch up on sleep properly, not waking until noon, but things rarely go as planned in life.
Beep beep!
A window popped up on her game interface. The MOD refresh had finally arrived.
Let's not forget, the main interface had always featured a "Load MOD" option. However, it reset every time she started a new 'game.' Various strange MODs randomly drawn previously would be completely cleared. Her understanding was that they counted as 'additional content,' which is why they disappeared.
For example, skills she learned herself, like parrying or magic, could absolutely be carried over to different worlds. But her inventory and equipment slots were different.
Most items became unusable, appearing grayed out as if sealed, seemingly unlockable later. In reality, they could only be unlocked via MODs – things like the Homeward Bone, for instance.
Matters concerning world rules could only be altered through additional content.
It represented modifying the rules.
Several lightweight yet protective armors she quite liked, perfect for a mage, were unfortunately unusable for now.
Therefore, Frieren had always valued MODs highly. After all, she had once drawn some incredibly game-breaking ones. To this day, she couldn't forget that heaven-and-earth-shattering health bar disappearance technique from activating a one-hit kill via a cheat engine like Fling Trainer.
Unfortunately, she hadn't fully understood it back then and wasted it all on minor enemies. Thinking back, it was quite a waste.
This also touched upon a rule of MODs: some additional content had usage limits or time limits, while others were permanent additions – three categories in total.
Which category had refreshed this time?
Acquired [Auto-Loot] MOD. Can automatically categorize nearby items, provides minimal-range exploration.
So now it's loot-as-you-go, always on unless turned off?
Effective for the duration of this 'game cycle.' While not exactly game-breakingly powerful, it was enough to significantly change the experience, especially making things much more convenient for a completionist like Frieren. Finally, no need to constantly expend mental energy on the menial task of tidying up loot.
Random MODs were unpredictable finds. The only thing she could somewhat influence was that acquiring a large amount of Runes in a short period seemed to increase the refresh rate. But the one she truly anticipated was different:
Cloud Save.
Only this could allow Frieren to achieve various collections within a single playthrough and map out a perfect route. It was an indispensable top-tier MOD. At the same time, having a save file meant she could exit the 'game' and return to reality without worry.
Otherwise, it could easily lead to situations where people in this world perceived her as having "suddenly slept for a very long time," or even worse errors.
A few times in the past, exiting the game had caused chaos that nearly bricked her playthrough.
Elden Ring, being more open-world, was especially prone to this, with its numerous interlinked and chaotically tangled questlines. Without a save function, she wouldn't dare exit casually.
Fortunately, the flow of time in reality remained constant.
No matter how much time passed in the Lands Between, to her kin in the elf village, it was merely as if she had taken a nap.
Besides, the situation back there wasn't exactly reassuring either. Her homeland was already being targeted. Knowing the personality of the Demon race, they were definitely planning some major event. She would have to go back and check later; otherwise, she wouldn't feel at ease.
If Frieren were just an ordinary elf who had lived through long ages, she probably wouldn't care about the fate of her kin. But her experiences through 'games' had given her rich emotions, preventing numbness.
Aren't there plenty of powerful individuals in the Lands Between, easily over 5,000 years old, still active on the world stage? That's being old but vigorous.
Their mindset was worth learning from.
The silver-haired girl exited the game interface and yawned. Gazing at the sky, she saw bright sunlight – probably around 9 AM. Looking towards Summonwater Village, the aura of death had dissipated considerably overnight, much better than before.
At least it no longer radiated a terrifying atmosphere from afar, practically advertising the presence of skeleton hordes.
This proved the Lands Between could indeed be mended.
That raised the question: what unseen hand had allowed the situation to deteriorate so badly?
Logically, investigating the truth starting from Goddess Marika's deeds seemed the primary choice. For example, the words at the Third Church, though cryptic, were worth verifying. Looking at player comments might offer insights:
[She exiled Godfrey just like that. Was it part of the plan, or was she instructed by someone else?]
[Godfrey my man, don't go! ]
[Let's fight our way back to Leyndell and teach that woman a lesson!]
[Killing the donkey after it's done grinding, huh? Discarding Godfrey right after he beat the Storm Lord? Well played, Goddess, very clever. Hide the bow when the birds are gone, cook the hounds when the hare is dead.]
[The information is too fragmented, I can't understand it at all.]
[Hard to say they didn't plan it together. My perspective is Godfrey's return later was too coincidental, right when the Tarnished was about to enter the Erdtree. Returning from outside the Lands Between so quickly? Probably already in contact.]
[That's one possible explanation, but how much of Marika's actions, from her plan to become a god to her actions afterwards, was just going with the flow versus being forced into it, we don't know.]
[Marika, if you'd just had fewer kids, maybe there'd be less chaos. I run into your children in practically every map I clear.]
[Heroic Mother of the Lands Between!]
...Players also had widely varying opinions. At the very least, the information available early on wasn't enough to support a firm judgment. So, Frieren couldn't glean much underlying logic, but one hint was crucial.
Godfrey, the First Elden Lord of the Golden Dynasty, would return one day. The Tarnished couldn't avoid him.
With the prestige of a founding hero, he would surely command widespread support. Compared to him, anyone attempting to claim the throne would become a usurping traitor, inherently lacking legitimacy.
So what?
You're just someone who left thousands of years ago, a remnant of a bygone era.
Strength is the reason for kingship.
If anything, hearing about Godfrey's destined return made Frieren even more motivated. Wouldn't failing to clash with the First Elden Lord make her claim illegitimate? Just like Radagon – people only called him "King Consort," considering him merely Marika's accessory.
Ultimately, the Lands Between respected strength; it made sense according to game logic too. Since the Tarnished aimed to become Lord, naturally, they had to defeat all powerful enemies.
The silver-haired girl stretched, then suddenly threw off her blanket and stood up.
"Heading to Mistwood. Activate the Site of Grace ASAP. Then clear out the mobs inside, grab the map along the way, and head south to Fort Haight."
"Waking up so early today."
As Melina said this, she rubbed her temples. It wasn't actually that early. Her own sense of time was being skewed by Frieren. So why the sudden burst of energy today?
"Actually, I comprehended 'Auto-Loot magic.' Exploration will be more efficient. Let's make this quick."
The Black Knife Assassin was even less concerned. Auluo needed very little rest to maintain her condition. Following her superior these past few days had indeed been relaxing; some monsters even kept a wide berth due to the aura Frieren intentionally released.
Since the decision was made, there was no time to delay.
Summoning her Spirit Steed, Frieren rode swiftly from the Third Church of Marika towards Mistwood.
The journey was relatively long. Thankfully, Torrent was arguably the fastest steed in the Lands Between; otherwise, moving a large army would likely take days.
After traveling for some time, a dense patch of green faintly appeared on the horizon, along with the unique golden energy of a Site of Grace rising straight from the ground, seeming to guide the way.
The aura reactions of countless monsters within Mistwood also entered her perception range. It was quite lively inside.
____
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