Frieren had long suspected there were disparities among the demigods, but the difference described in the sword monument inscriptions was just too vast.
Melina, beside her, elaborated, "Godrick is the weakest of the demigods, but he still holds a Great Rune, a core fragment at that. People are wary of its full potential when unleashed."
"Let's rest first. We'll tackle that king hiding in his castle once we're fully prepared."
Currently, the addition of the Black Knife Assassin and the Farron Undead Legion bolstered their high-end and core combat strength, but they still lacked what was needed for a proper siege.
Stormveil Castle wouldn't be easy.
Having seen it once before, Frieren had made her assessment. The castle was sturdy, with multi-layered defenses and densely packed firing points. Directly assaulting it would require considerable effort. Besides, she always adhered to one principle:
Fully exploit the game's freedom. If a dungeon could be tackled with allies, refuse to fight alone.
Moreover, the surrounding noble territories continuously supplied Stormveil Castle. It was best to cut off their logistics first; otherwise, the conflict could devolve into a prolonged war filled with too many variables.
Clatter!
Suddenly, her inventory display showed new equipment being added continuously, along with an oddly named medallion piece whose purpose was currently unknown.
Ah, turns out Auto-Loot was still active.
It really was convenient, saving the mental and physical effort of picking things up one by one. She could just filter items directly in her inventory. Glancing through, most were standard-issue equipment from Godrick Soldiers, mixed with some from Noble Soldiers. She selected the items in good condition and brought them out again.
To her three companions, it looked like the silver-haired girl was using the Site of Grace's space to repeatedly sort through weapons, meticulously collecting everything like a true completionist.
Fort Haight looked small on the map, but it was actually quite tall, with a medium-sized area, serving to guard the entirety of eastern Limgrave. It held a considerable amount of equipment.
Kenneth would probably find some discrepancies in the inventory logs when he arrived later.
Looted by the player.
Beyond that, there were no other special rewards. After all, she had already received the drops from the Farron Undead Legion once; they belonged to her Ashen One 'account.' Skills could be inherited, but equipment and items generally couldn't.
But now, an exception occurred. The game's main interface displayed a notification: [New MOD Refreshed] available.
[This MOD is an Interoperable type with 3 uses remaining.]
[Randomly synchronizes equipment to the current account.]
Frieren's interest was instantly piqued. Before she could think further, the interface switched, showing her previous accumulations rapidly cycling like a lottery draw.
[Ember x1]
Useless. Pointless in the Lands Between. Statistically, it pops up frequently, definitely polluting the prize pool. That much was expected.
[Vordt's Great Hammer]
A great hammer with high poise damage and the Endure Ash of War built-in. Very useful, but extremely heavy and slow – not her preferred type. Player messages called it the famous "Ice Dog Hammer," quite popular, but sadly incompatible with a mage.
However, in certain weapon-based combat scenarios, Frieren wouldn't mind adopting a warrior style.
The final draw was [Dancer's Armor]. She had indeed worn this before. Besides its high aesthetic appeal, its strengths lay in comfort and flexibility, offering minimal defense suitable for a mage. It wasn't particularly costly either.
[Armor of the Dancer of the Boreal Valley]
[The Pontiff's left eye eventually transformed the Dancer into a beast.]
[This armor is said to be a part of her.]
The boss wearing this set moved with grand, sweeping motions yet remained incredibly agile, rivaling the Farron Undead Legion in mobility. As a mage back then, Frieren had been forced to maintain intense concentration. The ground there had also been littered with player death records – a memorable foe.
Speaking of armor, the Dancer's Set instantly became the most suitable and sturdy option Frieren possessed, superior to the drops from Godrick Soldiers.
Oh well.
At least she now had a reliable set of armor for the upcoming demigod conquest battle. Relying solely on blocking with a shield or parrying with her blade offered too low a margin for error, making her vulnerable to being defeated in one hit, which contradicted her consistently cautious combat logic.
With this thought, Frieren continued organizing her current equipment, categorizing items and estimating plans...
Meanwhile, Melina observed the members of the Farron Undead Legion. They looked back, clearly perceiving her spectral form, their senses even sharper than the Black Knife Assassin's.
"Opponents from outside the Lands Between?"
Initially, she hadn't fully believed the Tarnished's claims. But after witnessing the power of the Lords of Cinder, she had to accept it. So, Frieren is a top-tier warrior in her homeland too? The world is vast; much remains unknown beyond the fog. The heavens and earth are wide.
No wonder Frieren described this decaying land as "the final years of a collapsing dynasty" rather than the collapse of an entire world.
It wasn't just the confident perspective of an outsider looking at a local situation; Frieren genuinely possessed a broad perspective and viewed the Lands Between with positivity.
Carefully observing the aura of the Farron Undead Legion revealed:
That was the true atmosphere of an apocalyptic world.
Happiness is relative. Though it sounded somewhat cold, Melina felt the Lands Between was comparatively better off. At least it was known that before the Golden Dynasty, there was the Age of Ancient Dragons, and other ancient civilizations like the Ancestral Spirits... Life always found a way to continue.
Considering only the future, the Lands Between had actually gradually adapted to the stagnant lifelessness after the Shattering War. It was far from true demise; one could even call it a new ecosystem.
Her journey alongside the Tarnished, seeking the Elden Ring, wasn't about giving the world an 'out' – that would be arrogant. It was about making the world better.
It was about change.
Creating an era of all-embracing tolerance, more prosperous than the bygone age of abundance.
"Lady Frieren, could you tell me something about your world and the world of the Farron Undead Legion?"
"Of course. There's nothing much to hide." The silver-haired girl finished organizing and generously told her companions, "It was a world where the Fire was fading, decaying and dilapidated..."
She recounted the basics, mostly following the narrative style of an opening cinematic.
Though obscure and unfamiliar, Auluo and Melina listened, fascinated. They seemed quite accustomed to the riddling atmosphere. Perhaps it was a cultural tradition?
Frieren gave a rough account based on her own experiences and understanding.
Simple and easy to grasp.
Even the Farron Undead Legion pricked up their ears, listening intently, extremely curious how the Ashen One, the Slayer of Kings, viewed the world of fading flame. This was the first time they had communicated like this; previously, it was all fighting and killing, leaving no time even for a few words.
Actually, she spoke rather vaguely, feeling no need to explain different 'games' to people within a 'game,' so she didn't scrutinize the details too much. Even so, her audience listened attentively.
For Melina and Auluo, one thing was confirmed: Frieren was an unrivaled hero in her own world.
Her calm recounting of events only made them seem more tumultuous and grand to others.
The silver-haired girl possessed an air of detached calm, yet internally, a fire always burned, her passion channeled into action.
She kept her word.
She must have fulfilled her promise to that Fire Keeper...
In a world destined to fade into darkness as the flame died, only this Ashen One strove on. But what was the final outcome? That was a long story, and unfortunately, it was about to be interrupted.
Swoosh!
A signal arrow soared into the sky – the prearranged signal from Kenneth. The nobles were about to arrive.
____
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