What a mess.
Frieren looked at the Mimic Tears that had copied her appearance but hadn't even equipped any gear. She almost couldn't keep a straight face. As expected, there was a vast difference between low-quality copies and the genuine article. These guys had no value for collection; they were just pure, generic mobs.
The leading copy even picked up a fletched arrow, aimed, and fired one at its original.
Hmph!
An attack of this caliber moved in slow motion in her eyes. As she dodged to the side, she leaped down, initiating the Weapon Skill: Lion's Claw.
With a resounding clang, the copy dispersed. That move was quite fierce, carrying an undeniable sense of overwhelming power. How was it that from the fragmented royal graves of the real world all the way to her current exploration of the Eternal City, she kept running into hordes of copies?
At the same time, the Mimic Tears nearby were still shaping themselves.
Frieren showed no mercy, using a fully charged Spirit Star to one-shot them, leaving no chance for retaliation.
Facing the power of a Near-Lord Mage, they naturally had no resistance. Lacking any special mechanics, they turned to ash with a single strike. But the hunt wasn't over. Any Mimic Tear detected by her senses was struck down, essentially clearing the path for future adventurers.
The slime monsters continuously fell. Even if they managed to barely copy Frieren's appearance, they held no power, merely serving as easy targets.
These wanderers of the city transformed into Runes, flowing into the silver-haired girl's body.
Don't let her effortless hunt fool you; these Mimic Tears actually possessed some of the original's magic. If they'd had more time to move around, they might have even been able to use simple skills.
But alas, this was the end of the line for them.
She couldn't leave them for the exploration teams that would follow.
Otherwise, it was hard to say if these monsters, skilled in replication, adaptation, and evolution, might develop new tricks. That's why Frieren…
The Runes they dropped weren't many. It seemed they were more 'gimmick' enemies than stat-based threats.
She strolled along, clearing out enemies as she went. Thanks to her ultra-wide-range perception and the messages left on the ground, her journey proceeded smoothly.
Getting lost was impossible; at most, she just covered a lot of ground.
Little did she know, in Melina's eyes, Frieren was meticulously searching every single part of the map, leaving no stone unturned, as if she were merely sightseeing in the Eternal City.
"There's a church over there."
"I sense it too," Frieren murmured. "There's a faint trace of someone alive having passed through. Entering the Night Domain..."
"But it's hard to say what state they're in. Even if they haven't become living corpses, they've probably gone mad."
The deeper they delved into the underground world, the more they felt the pervasive corruption. It wasn't a specific debuff, but rather the eternal night sky that caused feelings of confusion, exhaustion, and apathy to erupt, eroding one's mind far faster than on the surface. They would surely wither away much faster.
That's why they had only encountered monsters so far.
The surface world had indeed been repeatedly ravaged by the Shattering, yet it was consistently illuminated by the light of the Golden Tree, providing some degree of protection. Unlike the underground world, where only the eternal, frigid night remained.
So-called eternity here was a continuous decline where time itself was frozen, utterly devoid of light.
Frieren nodded. "Any projects to develop the underground can only extend to the cave entrances for now. Long-term residence is impossible."
"Speaking of which," Frieren mused, "the underground rivers are intertwined with the Golden Tree's roots. If we could get it to spread some of its light and blessings down here, that would be great. What do you think?"
"That's quite a fantastical idea," Melina replied. "The prerequisite is finding the legendary Deeproot Depths..."
"What?"
"Literally the roots of the Golden Tree, burrowing from the Altus Plateau into the deepest underground regions. It might be related to Deathblight corruption and is also the source of the two great underground rivers. Legends say that Nomadic Death Knights reside there, along with an endless grand waterfall whose roar echoes throughout the entire space."
"I've made a note of it," Frieren said. "I'll pay them a visit, sooner or later."
As they chatted, Frieren traversed a narrow and perilous path. On the other side, a grand church hall awaited them.
A profound silence reigned, and the empty environment exuded an oppressive aura.
The walls on either side were formed by massive pillars, reaching high to support the vaulted ceiling, as if giants stood together, gazing down upon the worshippers at the very center. Along the visual axis, two robed figures held glowing orbs in their hands, illuminating a small area around them.
Similar lights flickered in the sconces on the walls, a rare source of illumination in the Night Domain, though unfortunately, they produced no heat.
Spirit Flame?
Or any other light source, it didn't matter. The underground's cold would devour everything. Right now, Frieren was more focused on the undeniable aesthetic centerpiece of this architecture:
Most prominent were the enormous stone sarcophagus and a half-burnt candle.
She lightly brushed the candle.
It felt cold and strangely slick to the touch. Who knew how much time had passed?
The silver-haired girl's behavior, eagerly eyeing the coffin while lying on the sarcophagus steps, puzzled Melina. "Is there treasure inside?"
"Not really," Frieren replied. "There's nothing special, just a regular deceased person. It's just that I've encountered places before where you enter coffins as transport, so I thought I'd give it a try... No trigger, so it's fine."
Melina had never quite understood Frieren's exploration philosophy, but she respected it, especially since her partner's instincts were usually spot-on.
After a quick inspection, the silver-haired girl performed a priestly blessing over the coffin.
"May they rest in peace."
Finding release in the underground world was perhaps a good outcome, as the environment here was steadily worsening. Even with her feet, for the first time in a while, stepping on solid ground, she felt an inexplicable chill. The magic in the air was dense, yet strangely inert.
How strange, she suddenly thought. Gravity magic could also draw in magic. Was Astel's magical aftershock still affecting the underground?
Temporarily setting her thoughts aside, she searched the area around the sarcophagus.
[Black Whetblade]
[A black blade etched with secret runes, used as a whetblade.]
[When granting affinities with physical or arcane Ashes of War,]
[it allows adding the following affinities: Poison, Blood, Occult.]
New affinities? This description reminded Frieren of another small blade she had acquired earlier at the gate. So this one corresponded to new affinity types for strengthening Ashes of War.
An unexpected gain. With this, she could imbue Ashes of War with even more traits. Blood and Poison—just hearing those sounded formidable.
She carefully put it away.
Though it was a church used for sacrifices, she couldn't be careless in her search. No treasure should go to waste.
"Who's there?"
Suddenly, the silver-haired girl stopped, looking towards a passage in the church. It was lower in elevation and hidden behind a magical barrier. Most importantly, there was a living presence—a rare sign of a living person.
The commotion here drew the attention of a Noxian, who stepped out from behind the barrier to observe, yet remained unaware of Frieren's gaze.
The disparity in their perception was too vast.
Thus, the Noxian had no idea that a surge of magic was slowly rising.
Night Star.
A fully charged spell, quite potent yet not lethal, struck the Noxian's leg. It was her way of saying hello to an enemy.
The Noxian, suddenly struck, cried out in pain, brandishing her weapon as she angrily scanned her surroundings.
A silver-armored, long-eared girl descended the steps, asking, "What's in that treasure chest behind you?"
Unfortunately, the only reply was an indistinct growl.
"What a shame. Have you already lost your sanity? Whatever you're guarding, thank you for your diligence. It's over."
"I can only let you sleep for a while..."
Within the Noxian's roar was a clear intent to kill. It seemed even if they retained their sanity, they would be enemies, and certainly wouldn't reveal any information about national treasures. A real fight was the only way to truly stop them.
Facing Frieren's approach, she suddenly drew her sword, her angle surprisingly tricky.
But Haima's Gavel struck the Noxian's head even faster, leaving her dizzy and disoriented.
With that single blow, she fell unconscious, ultimately spared. Otherwise, one fatal strike would have claimed another member of this ancient civilization.
Though, to be fair, the civilization itself had carried on. Whether it was the magic town of Sellia, in Caelid, or the Academy of Raya Lucaria, subtle connections still existed.
They had simply adopted a different form of existence.
Sane Noxians should still exist, stubbornly clinging to life in the Night Domain, as the traces of life she sensed hadn't vanished; perhaps their lineage wasn't completely severed.
"Well, whatever," Frieren mused. "If I keep exploring, I'll surely encounter them. I just hope not all of them are so difficult to communicate with."
Frieren wasn't in a hurry. She turned her attention to examining the newly appeared equipment:
[Nox Swordstress Armor]
[Armor worn by the swordstresses of the Eternal City.]
[They were the personal guards of the Night Witch, donning silken cloaks.]
[In the distant past, the Noxians provoked the Greater Will, and were thus cast deep underground.]
[Under a false night sky, they perpetually await—]
[—the Age of Stars, the coming of the King of Night.]
As armor, it was far too flimsy. When Frieren put it on, she felt utterly insecure; it wasn't nearly as sturdy as her own attire. Aesthetically, it wasn't bad; it looked quite elegant with a white cloak. But it couldn't compare to Boc the Seamster's sewn red jerkin and cape, making it barely better than nothing.
After collecting it, she casually cast a Soul Healing spell on the unconscious Noxian. As for whether she would regain her sanity? That was up to fate.
A few days of sleep were unavoidable, however. The force she used earlier was precisely to ensure this swordstress wouldn't cause any further disturbance.
Frieren was willing to show a bit more patience to intelligent humans, provided they didn't become too obnoxious. Otherwise, she'd still eliminate them.
"Melina, who do you think the King of Night of the Age of Stars refers to?"
"It's likely a metaphor based on religious narratives," Melina replied. "In such an environment, it's inevitable for peculiar doctrines to arise. I believe there are only kings under the Golden Order and the era of the Golden Tree. How could there be a Night?"
"Hmm, very proper indeed."
She had expected this answer. True to Melina, her formidable Faith stat was evident.
"The Noxian civilization was destroyed and outcast, so it's natural they'd desire to build their own system of kingship. But this concerns the legitimate claim to the Lands Between. There's no room for error."
"I was just wondering if there were corresponding Orders. Multiple Orders mean multiple paths."
"You are meant to become the King of the Golden Order. That Great Rune for mending the Elden Ring can be adjusted, but not too radically."
The meager information she had at hand didn't support much further speculation.
Frieren didn't pursue the topic further. Instead, she used magic to lift the Noxian and move her away. A significant commotion was likely to occur here next, as she could sense a powerful presence even through the treasure chest.
It seemed to grow more active with her arrival, steadily rising in power. What exactly was it?
She had encountered 'gimmick' enemies several times during her exploration of the Eternal City, so she didn't dare let her guard down. Instead, she prepared for battle.
Seeing this, Melina voluntarily dissipated into spirit form.
As the treasure chest opened, Frieren took a step back, prepared for anything—be it poison mist, explosive arrows, or a monster. However, it was a false alarm. It was merely a silver-white, slimy, tumor-like object, resembling a special kind of Spirit Ash.
[Mimic Tear Ashes]
[One of the 'legendary ashes', it summons the spirit of a Mimic Tear.]
[Does not consume Focus Points upon summon, but HP.]
[A spirit that mimics the summoner's form in battle, yet cannot mimic the summoner's mind.]
[This is a remnant of the Eternal City's attempt to create a king.]
A King?
They had just been discussing this! She hadn't expected them to genuinely intend to create a king using Mimic Tears. Undoubtedly, its strength was sufficient, otherwise, it wouldn't have been hidden deep within the Night Domain.
Unfortunately, their plan died in its infancy. Before it could even be tested, they incurred the wrath of the Greater Will.
As things stood, Frieren had to admit that the Noxians truly lived up to their reputation as "masters of courting death." They had secretly concocted so many audacious plans.
Whether it was right or wrong, just or evil, wasn't her concern. From a purely strategic perspective, factions that dared to challenge the fundamental logical order of the Lands Between would certainly not be tolerated by the established world and were bound to face suppression.
Her Spirit Calling Bell established a connection with it.
Frieren glanced at the messages on the ground. As expected, they were flooded with praise. "So this is the one!"
Among them were comments like "The True Elden Lord," "Game Over," "Now all builds revolve around this absolute unit," and "The Spirit-Calling Snail Path officially begins." It was clear that its immense power was widely acknowledged.
She had always wondered where the Mimic Tear was. She hadn't expected to find it with such ease.
It had been sleeping deep within the Night Domain, finally seeing the light of day. And indeed, a faint resonance emanated from her Spirit Calling Bell.
Frieren smoothly responded to this spiritual connection.
As expected, she felt her HP drain, and the power of a stargazer poured in. No, it seemed to be more than that; even flesh and soul power were flowing away....
"No, that's too much!"
The cost for this Spirit Ash's summoning mechanism seemed to demand too much from its master. It even sensed power from outside the Lands Between and actively absorbed it. Though, fortunately, it was only a minuscule amount, as it had been firmly sealed.
"Very well," Frieren said. "Since you have the ability to absorb it, there's no harm in giving it to you. Come on."
She slit her wrist, letting blood flow. The pile of Spirit Ashes on the ground ravenously devoured the immense energy.
Their respective magics intertwined during this process, achieving 100% resonance.
One had an insatiable appetite yet was loyal and reliable, while the other had overflowing power and was never short on materials. They immediately clicked, embarking on a path of advancement.
Frieren took out all her Grave Glovewort reserves, including some of the high-grade ones she had collected during this trip. "It's all for you."
"However much you can digest is a testament to your ability."
Hmph!
The Spirit Ashes, in a surprisingly human-like manner, opened their mouth wide and swallowed it all, their aura growing even stronger.
It could actively evolve even without the aid of a Spirit Tuner. In other words, did this mean it possessed a profound sentience? Had it overcome a technical hurdle for the Noxian civilization?
"Keep eating," Frieren urged. "Let me see your limits."
Intrigued, Frieren channeled the Sakura Dragon's Blood, Ancient God's Flesh, and First Flame, sending it all into the ashes.
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