"Ready?
The two of them immediately sank to their knees, panting and drenched in sweat. One of them struggled to lift her head, forcing a smile, and leaned in...
too exhausted to speak, completely drained, her mana depleted.
Frieren glanced at them, confirmed they were fine; it was just the symptoms of severe mana depletion, similar to a long-distance run. Stamina
and mana exhaustion couldn't be resolved by Healing Magic; they just needed rest. She continued to inspect the ritual core.
"The auxiliary work is complete," she said, "I've also granted you access. I just need to fine-tune it a bit more."
Hearing this, Millia and Flamme exchanged glances, stunned into numbness.
"How much mana do you have left?"
From start to finish, her displayed mana reserves seemed bottomless, without a hint of wavering, bearing the greatest burden of consumption. In
reality, not a single bit of mana in this barrier came from them; their primary expenditure was in scripting complex ritual arrays and inscribing them onto a large number of Glintstones.
Thus, Frieren alone constructed a super-barrier that enveloped an entire small town, its majestic form obscuring the sky.
Additionally, there were 4 floating Glintstones guarding it.
They were controlled by Gravity Magic, self-contained, neither falling nor tumbling, and would guard this place year-round.
Indeed, just as the designer said, it had become a marvel.
Only Millia and Flamme, who had truly interacted closely, understood that Frieren's current display was far from her limit; they believed that Goddess-tier magic existed, and it was right before their eyes.
Suddenly, the silver-haired maiden looked towards the Pale Elf, who immediately bowed, indicating readiness to obey.
"You fly up and attack the barrier, and I will counter-attack. Be a good dummy target."
Anyone entering from the outside would be subject to automatic identification checks.
At this moment, the Water Mirror Demon was looking down from above.
A conventional General Attack Magic beam struck the barrier, only to be inexplicably absorbed and returned along its original trajectory—
At the critical moment, it used Gravity Magic to deflect the attack, barely avoiding injury. The Water Mirror
Demon, with its keen combat intuition, immediately changed its technique, creating Rock Slings that exploded. Pure physical attacks were difficult to deflect, but it crashed head-on into the barrier, shattering itself into pieces.
It failed, so it might as well try a special type of magic.
In its hand, a black, eerie mass of rancor coalesced, menacing and clawing, its growl sending shivers down one's spine.
Ancient Death Rancor.
Thanks to the original body having imparted a portion of its soul to the clone, it could finally use Soul Magic attacks, a universally recognized highly destructive attribute.
It was also widely acknowledged as an attack that could bypass various defensive measures.
Thump!
Suddenly, a barrier beside the Water Mirror Demon blocked a Glintstone Magic spell, apparently unleashed by the giant Glintstones floating high in the sky. "How was this possible? It could actively counter-attack?!"
Having its attack interrupted wasn't the problem; the key was that the next moment, dense, numerous Glintstones rose from the grounds.
Transforming rancor into flames, a fierce clash ensued.
Immediately adjusting its attack, it contended directly with the counter-attack system, with rumbling explosions and smoke rising everywhere. Even the Elf residents below, separated by the barrier, felt the tremor. "As expected of the Guardians created by Lady Frieren, they are strong enough."
Using the Water Mirror Demon to test the new barrier was a grand gesture that only she could make.
"It was too audacious."
No one would have guessed that a barrier could actively counter-attack; at this moment, a battle of sheer firepower was clearly unfolding in the sky.
Even a single aftershock collision was enough to overturn a squad, yet large-scale attacks had no effect on it. "Imagine an invading army; wouldn't they be similarly deterred? Millia and Flamme, as practitioners of the spell, were dumbfounded. Even imagining themselves in such a situation, it would be difficult to break through. This was truly a Wall of Lament." "You really know how to play, aren't you afraid of breaking one of them?" "Master, does this barrier have no weaknesses?" "Don't ask me for direct answers. Observe more, think more. See who, you or the Water Mirror Demon, can break through the mechanism first," Frieren replied meaningfully.
Zap!
Before her words faded, the red-haired maiden flew out of the barrier, her movements so swift they left Millia dumbfounded.
"No, when did she recover her mana? And her flight is so proficient?!"
Hovering above the barrier, Flamme immediately became a target for counter-attack, but the next moment she vanished into thin air. Her invisible body, coupled with extreme suppression of her aura, caused the automatically counter-attacking Glintstones to lose their target and fail to lock on, naturally moving on to attack the other.
The Water Mirror Demon observed this, but was unskilled in this aspect. After all, how could something designed for deterrence understand invisibility? Moreover, it certainly didn't conform to a demon's logic.
"Although it's master's clone, it hasn't grasped the essence."
Flamme completed the experiment it couldn't: using Ancient Death Rancor to penetrate the barrier and enter.
Not only that, she even effortlessly passed one hand deeply through the barrier, disabling its identification, yet she suffered no harm throughout.
"How did she do that? Why?" Millia asked, puzzled.
Frieren pondered for a moment before deducing: "It's a method only she can use, by altering her soul and thereby her physical body. To the rigid barrier system, this is akin to an unknown product, so for convenience, it let her in."
Before her words faded, the red-haired maiden passed entirely through the barrier.
This transformative application of Soul Magic was something only she had mastered. Although the barrier was conceived with more than one solution, this method was the most convenient.
Seeing her master's appreciative expression, Flamme smiled triumphantly. Her reaction was much faster than the Water Mirror Demon's; a mere clone couldn't keep up with her master's genius. Ultimately, it would be the disciple who truly tested the barrier.
The silver-haired maiden waved her hand, and the Glintstone counter-attacks immediately ceased. The sky finally quieted down.
The Pale Elf quietly returned.
Although it could have spent more time searching for an opportunity to breach the barrier, its efficiency was vastly inferior and overshadowed. Moreover, in actual combat, such ideal conditions wouldn't exist.
"How does it feel? Is the attack intensity sufficient for a Grand Sorcerer level?"
"The nature is singular, but it wins in sheer numbers. Combined with the barrier, it's easy to organize a defensive battle," Flamme replied seriously.
"Wait, I have an idea too!"
No sooner had she spoken than Millia powerfully hurled a wine bottle outside the barrier, simultaneously using her authorized identification. But the bottle wafted out a strong alcoholic scent. It smelled intoxicating, and several unlucky passersby who caught a whiff immediately collapsed
and started snoring loudly.
Some felt dizzy, others vomited and had diarrhea; the symptoms varied, like drinking counterfeit alcohol.
Whoosh!
She quickly waved her hand to disperse it and concluded: "I had a hunch earlier that simple status-effect magic, or magic without malicious intent, like my brewing magic, could easily bypass the mechanism. The effect achieved is the same, and it can affect the barrier."
"You both did well."
Frieren nodded seriously, adding:
"So, barriers are not omnipotent. Ultimately, they are always used for screening, to avoid potential enemies. The most important thing is to defend with brute force; they only provide a home-field advantage—that's all."
"Since we tested this out so quickly, enemies will surely be able to as well. But that's fine, I'll continue to fine-tune it."
"Aside from special methods like Soul Magic, I'll focus on resistance against abnormal status effects."
After all, barriers are rigid.
Unlike sorcerers, who can adapt as living beings, the caster must pre-configure the relevant settings. They must not be negligent.
She had already anticipated this; it just required a little effort to patch it up.
Having said that, Frieren continued to script ritual arrays as supplements, while Flamme and Millia were deep in thought. Even the Water Mirror Demon waited in place, seemingly pondering some new concept together.
"You don't need to worry too much; neither underestimate nor overestimate the barrier."
"Master is right. For example, many curse magic spells in the world, unless you touch them, you never know if they'll work."
"No matter its performance, I will protect the town."
The confident Millia declared, feeling increasingly stronger and finding her stride, her blood boiling, ignited with passion. "That's right, I'm a genius too."
"Exactly."
The two were satisfied with the current effect; after all, they were at least a notch stronger than ordinary sorcerers.
One could say that even Great Demons would find the barrier troublesome.
It was already sufficient, but Frieren unexpectedly continued adjusting, still not satisfied. Now, no one truly knew how strong it was, how many patches she had applied, or how to bypass it. Truly a magic researcher, always striving for perfection, pursuing an even higher realm.
She didn't forget to explain key points to Flamme, whose eyes lit up as she nodded repeatedly, believing that barrier magic proficiency would still improve.
"Master, I feel that ever since you increased the output, it has become somewhat unstable."
"Yes, it's quite shaky and unnerving."
At this moment, restless ripples undulated at the top of the barrier. Because a large amount of mana output wasn't fully absorbed, some energy dispersed, creating a certain chaotic aura.
From afar, the Elves curiously approached, wondering how strong Lady Frieren's satisfactory barrier could be.
"Indeed, it lacks a bit of a medium, but I have a way—"
"Glintstone Generation!"
The silver-haired maiden held her staff with both hands and plunged it into the ground. Energy flowed along the soil cracks, spreading out like a spiderweb, forming a circle of blue ore veins at the very edge. Glittering brilliantly, dazzlingly beautiful.
With more mediums to serve as inscription points for the ritual arrays, this massive barrier, arguably the world's strongest, immediately stabilized.
"Unfortunately, this way it's inconvenient for me to test it, as my magic can easily disrupt its stability."
Originally, she had intended to personally launch an attack to test it out.
Now, a barrier imbued with too much of her own power was essentially a continuous release of energy. The collision of two identical natures would have a poor effect, and she wouldn't be able to test its true limits.
"This isn't a solo effort," Millia suggested, "Let's have a training battle." "Think carefully. Isn't it your beloved disciple and everyone in the Elf Town who will truly utilize the barrier? It's designed for defense while you're in slumber; your power should naturally be excluded. If you're awake, would there even be a need for defense?"
Seeing her nod, Millia excitedly ran out, already attempting to organize a town event.
It was hard to imagine the Drunken Elf growing to such an extent.
Frieren revealed a relieved smile. Since her childhood friend was reliable, she could feel more at ease.
Completely focused, she suddenly encountered a problem: emphasizing resistance to abnormal status effects was based on restricting mana flow, which resulted in slowing energy circulation. It seemed like a loss outweighed by the gain?
"Troublesome."
The silver-haired maiden, with a furrowed brow, repeatedly adjusted it but remained unsatisfied…
"Master, I believe we can use the principle of Sealing Magic to actively suppress the identification of mana flow, allowing the barrier to be deployed more flexibly."
"And the specific ritual array?"
"I've already written it all. It's right here."
Although Flamme hadn't recovered much mana, assisting Frieren in constructing the barrier wasn't difficult. Master and disciple collaborated, beginning to identify and fix omissions, making the barrier system even more complete.
"Speaking of which, I thought Master intended for me to fully master Glintstone Magic. Turns out there are still mysteries."
"These are things I just figured out. And I think it's fine for you to explore them yourself."
"I'm far too behind."
"No, the transformation of changing physical form through soul alteration, the Scarlet Rot catalyzing life souls, and now the incorporation of this Sealing Magic into the barrier—all of these are your research. I can't let you become a complete copy of my magic system; you must forge your own path. Of course, I'll write notes for you on this part."
Frieren's teachings were always given without reservation.
Because the teachers who helped her never held anything back; they were diligent and responsible. The dissemination of knowledge should never rely on being insular.
She passed on this philosophy, believing it would yield great results.
To some in certain Associations, it seemed remarkably strange that a dignified God-tier Sorcerer would not keep some techniques to herself. It's normal to impart everything to your direct disciple, but many valuable pieces of knowledge were simply made public.
"Thank you, Master."
"Actually, now that you're nearing adulthood and reaching the level of a Grand Sorcerer, there's not much left for me to teach you. It's just academic sharing. You've already discovered many areas where I can't be your teacher, like your Sealing Magic and Barrier Magic."
"Before, I thought Master would only be satisfied after teaching me all of her magic, like how other sorcerers pass down their legacy to their disciples."
"No need. It's better for you to forge a different path. I have no need for a legacy."
The first half of the sentence invigorated Flamme.
The latter half made her gaze darken. Indeed, the Elf race generally didn't consider legacies anyway; they could live until the end of time, especially those powerful enough to touch the ceiling.
Therefore, Frieren's consistent choice was to impart sufficient knowledge, to see if it could cultivate unexpected delights.
The optimal solution.
Either, like with a direct disciple, lay a solid foundation hoping they'll become an assistant. Or, like public lectures at an Association, disseminate knowledge broadly. It was like trying both extremes.
Flamme decided to produce more results.
Just as they were chatting, Millia returned, waving and shouting:
"I've called everyone, we can start anytime."
"Very good, take a rest and prepare." Frieren's mana in her hand grew denser. "I'll be done soon."
Before her words faded, she unleashed a surge of pale blue energy that rushed into the clouds, spreading throughout the entire barrier, adorning it with a light blue glow, magnificent and grand.
Mission accomplished.
As dusk fell and the light faded, they could actually see sparkling starlight within the barrier.
They were fragments of Glintstone.
"It even has this effect!"
Even Frieren, who had personally created the barrier, hadn't anticipated this. Only under the night sky could she clearly see the shimmering, flowing, materialized Glintstone fragments within the barrier, adorning its canopy like falling snow, while the four Glintstone blocks in each direction resembled bright moons.
Though not cold, the scene resembling falling snow and starlight, combined with the numerous structures, reminded her of an adventure:
Irithyll of the Boreal Valley.
The unexpected bonus made the silver-haired maiden's lips curl upwards. "Perhaps it won't be long before the Elf Town gets a new name, if the barrier remains."
Millia clapped her hands and asserted:
"Perhaps it could be called Blue Town. It fits well. Let's promote it as such."
"All right, since everyone's ready, let's test its effects. Nothing can test it better than actual combat. You, Flamme, and the Water Mirror Demon will attack the barrier, and I'll make sure no one gets seriously injured."
"Huh?!"
Only the Drunken Elf pointed to herself, looking at Frieren with wide eyes, as if to say, "Are you sure?!"
She was never the type to be good at combat, and if she were to use her full power, she would only risk it in life-or-death situations.
After all, Millia had once entered the Hunter's Dream and had mastered some special powers, but her personality led her to pretend they didn't exist. Moreover, the Dream's Master had advised her not to use them lightly. Had she changed her mind now?
"Don't belittle yourself; your conventional magic is sufficient."
"Alright then, I'll help you test it."
Then the silver-haired maiden turned to the other Elves and instructed: "Everyone's magic can pass through the barrier, so your main task is interception. The key is to control the distance."
"Understood."
"Considering that the simulated enemies will likely act in organized groups, you'll need to defend from multiple directions. Pay attention to reconnaissance."
"Master, we're also ready on our side."
Flamme, pulling her two companions, arrived outside the barrier, poised and eager.
She was the most spirited, eager to let her master witness the fruits of her training. The stronger the target, the better. Otherwise, if it were easily broken, wouldn't it be a rushed ending? It should be a grand spectacle.
The red-haired maiden didn't realize her thinking was increasingly aligning with Frieren's style, becoming the type who unleashed explosive mana.
Another source of confidence was her super-strong regenerative ability; her mana was now fully charged.
It was Grace.
As Flamme gradually matured, her body approached its peak. The energy from multiple Great Runes and even the First Flame's Grace had increasingly integrated into her limbs and bones.
Her true prime was yet to come, but she was constantly ascending to new heights. No one knew where her limits lay.
In contrast, Millia simply released proclamations and priestly blessings. Diligence compensates for clumsiness. Her status could also be replenished; since she had teammates, she could deploy safely. Her style had always been based on team combat.
If she had to fight alone, she would run.
The Water Mirror Demon quietly nodded.
Frieren looked around and finally waved her hand: "Begin. You attack first."
No sooner had she spoken than the Pale Elf took the lead, launching a blast of white light. A full-power damaging magic exploded, causing the entire town barrier to tremble under the impact.
The tactics had changed.
Having attacked once and knowing that resistance defense had been newly added, it understood that conventional methods were meaningless.
It simply decided to fully leverage its innate specialty: mana. Since the caster had endowed it with nearly inexhaustible mana, it might as well unleash it completely. Thus, one terrifying blast of energy after another struck the barrier's surface.
However, the defenders were not the type to simply take a beating.
The Elves also had no shortage of magical means. They immediately launched elemental strikes, tracking the attackers, especially with flames spreading to increase the area of effect.
"Coordinated output. Focus on targeting."
If it came to commanding in battle, the Village Chief was the most suitable. After all, he usually oversaw various magic constructs, and at least knew everyone's skill level.
Even the Water Mirror Demon, facing large-scale firepower counter-attacks, had to retreat far away.
Simple magic could be forcefully resisted with a barrier, but the Elves unleashed multiple magics in combination. Accumulating little by little, it was difficult to predict what strange effects they might produce, so it decided to cautiously avoid them for now.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a Glintstone Magic spell grazed its shoulder, leaving a wound. Fortunately, it was just the barrier's automatic counter-attack.
It didn't pay attention—
Just as the Water Mirror Demon was about to defend, it saw Sealing Magic strike the 4 Glintstones respectively. It was Flamme's support; from the very beginning, she had been pondering how to block this interference, and she decisively made her move.
The counter-attacking Glintstones continued to unleash magic, but they struck wildly, essentially spinning frantically within the Sealing Magic's interference range.
They were no longer a threat; it was not difficult for a Sealing Master.
Flamme temporarily handed the main frontal attacking position to the Water Mirror Demon, focusing on restricting the automatic counter-attacks to set the stage for her own upcoming frontal assault.
"Did you interfere with its judgment?" Frieren saw through it at a glance. "Adding more ritual arrays will make it unstable. Ultimately, it still depends on the performance of the defenders."
She had to admit, her disciple's thinking was very precise.
One couldn't overhaul the entire defensive system every time a weakness was found. It seemed the barrier's screening capability had reached its limit. Encountering a genius like Flamme was indeed troublesome. The key was to observe the Elves' active reactions. If they could cooperate, it might not be impossible to break through the sealing interference.
Thump!
Suddenly, some people collapsed, snoring loudly, while many more were dazed and intoxicated, feeling dizzy.
Their steps were unsteady, they stumbled and staggered, their exhaled breath permeated with the scent of wine. Once it affected others, they too became dazed and intoxicated.
Millia burst out laughing: "Reinforcement magic works on my brewing magic too, it can amplify its power. Frieren, let's see whose magic is stronger—your barrier's resistance or mine... "
Before she could finish, the attacks from her other colleagues forced her to retreat in a flustered manner.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Since you've chosen to be the large-area, continuous status effect caster in the team, protect yourself and stay out of sight."
While being warned, she was already ash-faced.
Fortunately, her defensive barriers were sufficiently proficient, and she had applied multiple buffs beforehand, otherwise she wouldn't have withstood this round.
However, Frieren wasn't worried about her childhood friend's safety; ultimately, it was just a phase one health bar.
She ran far away.
Though the caster had fled, it didn't mean the magic's effect ended. The alcoholic scent continued to spread, one after another causing intoxication. Indeed, the resistance took effect, weakened to the point where most people wouldn't immediately fall asleep, but alcohol simply had a mechanical advantage.
Weakening the alcohol content didn't mean you wouldn't get drunk. Moreover, brewing magic exhibited a terrifying phenomenon: a high priority that was difficult to cure.
Frieren tried to dispel it with ordinary healing spells, but it wasn't considered an injury, and the intoxication persisted. It bypassed healing and had strong judgment; once drunk, it was almost irreversible.
Though the caster had fled, it didn't mean the magic's effect ended. The alcoholic scent continued to spread, one after another causing intoxication.
Indeed, the resistance took effect, weakened to the point where most people wouldn't immediately fall asleep, but alcohol simply had a mechanical advantage.
Weakening the alcohol content didn't mean you wouldn't get drunk. Moreover, brewing magic exhibited a terrifying phenomenon: a high priority that was difficult to cure.
Frieren tried to dispel it with ordinary healing spells, but it wasn't considered an injury, and the intoxication persisted. It bypassed healing and had strong judgment; once drunk, it was almost irreversible.
Even when she actively took a deep breath of the alcoholic air, she felt a trace of that intoxication.
Even though her own countermeasures weren't exhausted, it was enough to prove how troublesome it was.
"Although I haven't seen truly unsolvable curse-tier magic, you haven't managed to create that, have you?"
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Unfortunately, two of our stories were removed... so I created a new account to post them: MikuDayo.
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I'm counting on your support <3 the director was very sad and scared by what happened...
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