Voom!
The moment she touched the Site of Grace, Frieren also stored some items inside it to avoid cluttering her person.
Most were useless, so storing them cleared up quite a bit of space.
Later, if a limited-use "Universal Inventory" MOD refreshed, she could bring back items accumulated from other 'games.' Only then would she be at her full potential. Yes, she actually did have armor equipped.
Facing the trap-filled Souls-like world, even a mage needed proper protection; carelessness wasn't an option. Carefully overcoming challenges was part of the fun.
Preparations complete, the silver-haired girl entered Mistwood.
It lived up to its name.
Her vision was immediately obscured by a dense fog, creating natural concealment. She could already imagine countless enemies hidden within. Not only that, but her magic sense was also weakened; this seemed to be a significant natural barrier.
"If a fortress were built deeper inside, it could guard this road."
Melina chimed in, "Indeed. There are ruins deep within Mistwood, likely a city from long ago."
"From the time of the Storm Lord and the Golden Army again?"
"I cannot be certain, as it was a very long time ago. But many traces of that war remain from Limgrave down to the Weeping Peninsula."
"To be able to halt the Golden Dynasty's army when it was at its zenith, they must have been very strong."
Even though Frieren hadn't witnessed it firsthand, she had glimpsed fragments of it in the immense residual magic within certain ruins. If Liurnia of the Lakes was the only enemy of the Erdtree that wasn't fully conquered but instead ended hostilities through marriage alliance, then the Storm Lord's forces were the only ones who resisted to the very end.
Even the fiercely independent ancient dragons eventually made concessions. Ostensibly, they formed an alliance and reconciled, but rumor had it the Golden Dynasty stationed troops in the dragons' city, garrisoning and monitoring them.
Just upon entering Mistwood, she spotted a large bear. As she noticed it, she also saw player messages:
[Strong foe ahead]
[Bear, O Bear!]
[Beware of charge attack]
The phantoms appearing from the bloodstains mostly died while frantically dodging. The creature was large, had high poise, and wasn't slow either. In a normal environment, it might be quite troublesome; within Mistwood, it was utterly dominant.
Therefore, Frieren had no intention of taking a brute force approach. As a mage, she should try various methods.
"If the Clawmark Seal can use Incantations and similar powers, is it compatible with Dark Souls miracles? Let's try."
The silver-haired girl raised her right arm, clenching her fist in the air. Wisps of lightning emerged between her fingers, weaving together into a spear, crackling with sharp energy.
Such a commotion naturally alerted the bear, but it was too late.
Lightning Spear!
The next moment, lightning flashed from her outstretched hand, instantly piercing the bear's body and causing a paralyzing stagger. Whether it killed the enemy or not, this stagger was enough to create an opening.
The effect was excellent. On her first try, Frieren had already rediscovered the familiar feeling; it felt very natural.
Lightning Spear was perfect for long-range sniping.
This strike also alerted another bear nearby. It roared and charged forward, its dash surprisingly fast.
Another one! A spear of golden lightning pierced the target, simultaneously releasing an explosive burst of energy from within. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside – the corpse was already cooked through.
It wasn't actually an incredibly powerful ability. The key was that Frieren had used it countless times before; her control over the force was masterful. She used minimal effort to cause maximum destruction, skillfully leveraging minimal force for maximum impact, ultimately achieving a one-hit kill.
The difference in base stats was too vast to overcome.
Having rediscovered her old toy, she continuously launched Lightning Spear after Lightning Spear.
A new technique?
Melina, who had followed her partner from the beginning, didn't recognize the silver-haired girl's current move. Similar Incantations existed in the Lands Between, achieving comparable results through different means. Perhaps the Tarnished inherently knew it, gaining new abilities as she grew stronger.
She's simply unfathomable. How many varied techniques does she hide? Based on her current performance, how does she compare to the Full Moon Queen?
Not being a sorcerer herself, Melina couldn't accurately gauge, but she was certain Frieren's understanding of magic was top-tier. The more methods one could employ, the greater their mastery.
Magic emphasized knowledge and wisdom, neither of which the Tarnished lacked.
Moreover, Melina suddenly noticed something: her partner hadn't consumed a single flask thus far.
She's fighting with such ease.
Melina understood not needing health recovery. Aside from some minor scrapes during the spar with Bernahl, Frieren had remained entirely unscathed. Her exquisite footwork was something even the Black Knife Assassin couldn't hope to match. With evasion maxed out, there was no need for healing flasks.
As the Maiden who allocated attribute points for the Tarnished, Melina knew well: Frieren was currently a fragile character with only 20 Vigor, relying entirely on her elusive movements and powerful attacks to sweep through enemies.
How many foes were even qualified to test Frieren's health pool?
That much was understandable, but what followed was baffling: despite continuously casting magic, why hadn't Frieren shown the slightest sign of fatigue?
Melina knew she switched between different states, termed 'main account' or 'alt account,' but her FP pool was outrageous.
She couldn't seem to spend it all even when casting extravagantly.
Every time you thought you'd found a pattern in her abilities, she quickly broke it, her strength constantly redefining your perception. It wasn't always about raw power; she was simply full of surprises. The experiences gained in just these few days of traveling together surpassed Melina's own long journeys across the land.
In truth, Frieren had fast FP regeneration and used techniques to reduce mana consumption.
As a mage progressing through areas, FP anxiety was unavoidable. Thus, she had always strived to compensate for her weaknesses, leading to her current seemingly bottomless performance.
"Too slow."
After slaughtering the monsters, the Runes gained weren't substantial. Not because they were poor, but because she wasn't killing them fast enough.
"From my perspective, the efficiency is already very high," Auluo's voice was filled with shock. The Black Knife Assassin thought that if a mage like this had been pursuing them during their escape from Leyndell back then, they would have been absolutely doomed.
Impatient, Frieren shook a small bell. Amidst the crisp ringing sound, several Spirit Ashes materialized.
First, the initial companion she acquired: [Lone Wolf Ashes]
[Wandering Noble Ashes]
[Godrick Soldier Ashes]
[Spirit Jellyfish Ashes]
[Skeleton Militiaman Ashes]
—A total of 13 combat units now surrounded her. With a commanding point from the silver-haired girl, they all charged towards the monsters, launching a fearless assault.
She already commanded a small squad. Furthermore, Frieren continuously cast buffs and strengthening magic from the rear as they advanced, occasionally healing them. On the spot, she switched classes to a Spirit Ash army summoner build, something unprecedented in the Lands Between, sweeping through Mistwood with imposing momentum.
Melina, having seen this many times, was already numb to it. If the Tarnished wanted to have some fun, she'd let her.
Witnessing this combat style for the first time, the Black Knife Assassin's eyes widened. What level of soul strength was required to support this? Wasn't soul consumption even more terrifying than mana consumption?
Yet Frieren effortlessly commanded numerous Spirit Ashes in battle simultaneously.
____
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