Damn, I didn't react at all!
The Horned Warrior never expected that his powerful foe, who had always fought in the style of a sorcerer, would suddenly switch to close-quarters combat.
Coupled with the sudden increase in her attributes that caught him off guard, the Dark Moon Greatsword plunged deep into his chest. No blood flowed; it was all frozen solid.
Counterattack quickly.
With a final, desperate strike, he unleashed a sword aura at full power, stronger than any previous attack. Yet, before Frieren's absolute strength, it was still insignificant. A casual swing of her staff met it with a crisp crack, completely neutralizing it.
To do it with a staff, no less—it was simply divine. He was convinced. I could never hope to match such skill.
Then, the Dark Moon Greatsword drew a spray of blood, and his life faded.
His corpse knelt on the ground, but she held its head, simultaneously casting Soul Magic. A sliver of spiritual power slowly emerged from the horn on its face, faintly registering an energy response.
"What are you doing?"
"We've seen spirit-channeling rituals a few times now, so I was wondering if souls can be transferred? A technique similar to what Ranni and the Horned Folk use..."
Melina didn't know how to react. You've only seen it twice in total, how did you figure it out?
Frieren captured a fragment of the Horned Warrior's soul.
It was difficult and incomplete, but she had done it. This proved the theory was viable. Taking it a step further, could she use a similar method to summon the capabilities of an Undead or an Ashen One, thereby stacking her account's abilities to an even greater degree? But that involved too many variables.
Let's keep it simple.
Souls can indeed be transferred, at least in The Lands Between where they hold higher priority; after all, it is the soul that reincarnates under the Golden Order.
She tried to gather some of the dissipating soul and place it back into the corpse, which surprisingly twitched in response.
It was a bit creepy, but it proved the method worked.
The corpse only trembled a few times before its last breath escaped.
Theoretical feasibility and practical application are two different things. Frieren's current technique was far inferior to that of the Horned Folk, who had cultivated this field for thousands of years. So she wasn't disappointed; progress was progress.
"Is it possible that Mohg, who meets the three conditions of being a Horned Folk, having a corpse, and being fundamentally powerful, is also a suitable vessel?"
"I'm afraid so."
Melina, being exceptionally bright, immediately followed the train of thought to the transaction involving Mohg's corpse. Miquella had surely used it as a crucial part of his plan. What would happen?
"Unfortunately, we know nothing. The information gap is too vast."
"Did you think I was unprepared? If I could track Mohg's location then, I can do it now."
Frieren's answer left her momentarily stunned, then a look of pleasant surprise flashed in her single eye. As expected of the strongest sorcerer in The Lands Between, she had already thought of it. At the very least, she wouldn't let the enemy gain too much of an advantage. Such meticulous planning.
The two sides had been sparring from the very beginning.
The silver-haired girl summoned a wisp of a soul made of blood magic. Melina, familiar with it, immediately recognized it as a fragment torn from Mohg.
Simple and crude. It could probably only be used for a single location ping, but that was enough to narrow down the search area.
Hah!
She proactively transformed it into skeletal marrow and, combining it with the ritual she had just performed on the Horned Warrior, she could use spirit-channeling to precisely backtrack and trace it...
The crimson skeleton pointed north of the Tower Town, then dissipated.
"What does that mean?"
"So close, yet so far. Mohg's body is in that building within the shadow behind the Tower Town. It's protected by a great power specializing in large-scale seals. Even I would have trouble breaking it by force. We need to find a way in."
Frieren gazed into the distance, deep in thought. The cloying, indistinct silhouette of the building was intriguing, but she had to restrain herself.
Experience told her this was a time to take the long way around. Once she had investigated clues in other parts of the Land of Shadow, the truth would naturally reveal itself.
She could leave this to be dealt with later.
Melina agreed, "Since Mohg's body is there, it must be a very important place. Given that the seal probably can't be easily moved, we should just continue our investigation."
"Yes, I think so too. First, let's look at the spoils from that battle."
First was the drop from an old friend, the Ulcerated Tree Spirit. Although they had been wiped out in the southern regions, the ones in the Land of Shadow were different and might offer additional rewards:
[Immunizing Horn Charm +2]
[An adornment used by the Horned Folk during rituals.]
[Greatly boosts immunity.]
[To the Horned Folk, the horn is a sacred symbol, proof that they are the chosen people.]
[Among them, the misbegotten horn, from which new shoots constantly sprout, is regarded as the symbol of the highest spiritual power.]
How ugly.
The talisman consisted of a twisted mass of multicolored, sharp horns extending in all directions. Just holding it was uncomfortable. Among the many treasures Frieren had collected so far, this one could compete for the ugliest, and it was certainly the ugliest among talismans.
The architectural aesthetics of the Horned Folk were indeed commendable, among the best in The Lands Between, but their related treasures severely lacked beauty.
The previously obtained [Blade of Mercy] also had an unconventional shape.
As for the boost to immunity, it was of little significance to her.
So-called immunity refers to resistance against poison, rot, and the like, lessening their damage. However, Frieren's base stats were excessive. The real danger was something that could break her internal energy balance, which a single talisman couldn't save her from.
Therefore, resistance-type treasures were irrelevant. In comparison, the other new weapon was at least decent-looking.
[Horned Warrior's Curved Sword]
[A curved sword used by the Horned Warriors, guardians of the tower.]
[The blade bears a design symbolizing the misbegotten horn and serves as a catalyst for Horn Calling.]
[Weapon Skill: Horn Calling]
[A skill that calls forth the misbegotten horn to the blade. Thrusting the weapon directly into the ground creates an upward-stabbing horn spike.]
Frieren swung the heavy weapon a few times. It felt surprisingly smooth, better than expected. It was sharp, weighty, and even possessed a degree of soul compatibility.
In essence, it was more like a ritualistic object with a specialized function.
Thinking about it differently, it summoned horns instead of souls.
The so-called Horned Folk classify divinity, souls, and even the life properties of the Aspects of the Crucible under the power of the horn. It's a unified and profound system, certainly more complex than it appears on the surface.
After stowing the two spoils, the silver-haired girl reined in her magic, not leaking a single trace of excess energy.
"Let's go."
She had a faint sense that a still-sane soul existed deep within the building, one she might be able to exchange information with.
So Frieren suppressed her aura and moved forward slowly, Melina following faithfully beside her without question. At the same time, they heard the sounds of battle, carrying the aura of Horned Warriors. There were really a lot of these guys.
But with Leda and Freyja's strength, a two-on-one fight should be no problem.
The pair cleared out the wandering enemies along the way and arrived at a hidden room.
Her senses were correct.
Before her, at a desk, sat an old crone whose eyes were covered by a horn. She clutched a cane, her back hunched, her whole body curled up like a dried shrimp. She turned her head toward the uninvited guests.
"What are you?"
The Horned Folk crone, who had seemed to be slumbering with her head down, suddenly looked up. Even though she couldn't see, she radiated a vicious aura.
"More of Messmer's minions? What do you want with an old hag like me?"
"You burned our lands, hid the tower with a shadow, stole and destroyed everything we had, and you still don't think you're despicable enough? You sons of a wicked woman, remember this: the wrath of the Divine Beast will bring retribution sooner or later."
"Uh-huh."
Frieren, feeling completely unfazed, cheekily blinked her eyes. After confirming the crone was no threat, she began to survey the room.
It wasn't often she met someone sane and willing to talk. Killing her with one blow would be a waste. Her curses alone had revealed information, more than the Horned Warrior had.
"—Just you wait for disaster to strike."
"Go on, keep abusing an old woman like me. Do it, then go and boast about what a good deed you've done."
"If you have no guts, then tuck your tail between your legs and get lost, you disgusting creatures."
The silver-haired girl shook her head and responded coldly, "Right back at you. You people did nothing humane. This is merely a war of vengeance. Although there are deeper reasons, I still approve of Marika's actions."
"Since ancient times, this has been the land of the Horned Folk. You are the ones committing atrocities."
"How boring."
Growing tired of it, Frieren was about to make a move when she had a second thought and glanced at a message on the ground, which suggested fighting the Divine Beast before coming back.
She slowly lowered her staff, a look of puzzlement on her face.
Could the Horned Folk crone be related to some new information or treasure? Then she couldn't miss it. For any individual who could communicate normally, it was best not to just cut them down; they might have some hidden use.
So Frieren turned a deaf ear to the crone's garrulous curses and began to investigate the room on her own.
The most conspicuous object was a lion mask.
Most people would glance at it as a decoration and move on, but she could sense an unusual spirit-channeling aura. It seemed to be some kind of ritualistic object, quite common here. But its form exuded a sense of intimidation, powerful and majestic.
"Is that the Divine Beast you spoke of? The guardian of the Tower Town?"
"That's right. The Divine Beast Dancing Lion will devour you whole, you arrogant intruder. Do you also wish to challenge the great Horned Folk of spirit-channeling?"
"See you later."
Frieren couldn't be bothered with more empty talk. Since she had the hint from the message, she turned and left.
Rather than trying to force an interrogation, it was better to get the key item first.
She understood now. The Horned Folk who had survived Messmer's onslaught were all tough as nails and difficult to reason with. Questioning them was too inefficient. It was more reliable to investigate texts, like Leda did. At least books wouldn't curse at you.
After leaving the room, the silver-haired girl once again released her senses at maximum range and power, covering the entire Tower Town.
Her gaze swept over the eaves.
Every living creature felt a chill on the back of its neck, as if being stared at intently by some colossal being, yet they could find no trace of it. It was gone in an instant, and the next moment, all was still.
The Tower Town, silent for so many years, was finally reawakened, its silence broken.
"Any new discoveries?" Melina asked.
Frieren nodded. Both her proficiency in wide-area mana sensing and her treasure map had provided strong intelligence support.
"...Strange. I thought Miquella had never been to Belurat, yet I found a mark he left behind."
Although it wouldn't be difficult for him to enter unnoticed with his hypnosis abilities, it proved that Miquella had more information.
"Let's go to the mark and confirm it. Investigating the Horned Folk will also help us understand what my brother did."
The two were in perfect agreement and sped towards their target, the enemies along the way proving no match for them.
Rumble!
A loud roar accompanied by dust clouds moved steadily towards the upper levels of the Tower Town, completely unhindered. What fighting force could the now-ruined Horned Folk stronghold possibly muster against two Demigods? Not even with the Scadutree's suppression could they stop them.
The commotion naturally caught Leda's attention.
In a certain room, the Knight of the Golden Needle put down the tome in her hands. Beside her, Freyja was already impatiently flipping through pages, completely unable to focus.
"It seems the Lord of Cinder's method is to directly question the strongest Horned Folk in the Tower Town."
"Very much in the style of a king," her companion praised sincerely.
"It's a pity Messmer's army did a rather thorough job of destroying this place. There's nothing of value, unless we go investigate the Shadow Keep."
"But that's his stronghold."
"Exactly. And with Shadow Keep blocking the way, we'd need to prepare carefully if we want to explore it. No need to rush. With Frieren's personality, things won't be delayed for long."
Leda was well aware of the strength of the most powerful Demigod in the Land of Shadow; he was not to be trifled with.
Besides, Lord Miquella would not permit a reckless adventure. This life should be saved for a more valuable opportunity. "We just need to wait and see. We don't even need to rush to act when the Lord of Cinder makes his move. I wonder who is stronger, him or Messmer?"
The golden scion who housed the Mortal Flame was also quite old, with an exceptionally strong bloodline, incomparable to an ordinary Demigod.
To this day, he still kept the Horned Folk trembling in fear.
Although on the surface Belurat still had considerable fighting strength, it was nothing but trash compared to its peak. The culprit, of course, was Messmer, which showed his immense power.
Never mind.
Even if she did nothing, someone like Frieren would explore on her own and eventually clash with Messmer.
Leda closed the heavy tome.
"Let's move out as well. We'll go to the upper levels of the Tower Town and see what's happening."
"Yes, I sense a powerful presence there. It must have been drawn by the Lord of Cinder's spiritual power," Freyja said, full of fighting spirit. "We can't even draw his attention. This will be a tough fight."
The two prepared themselves and left the room with great strides, also heading for the upper levels of the Tower Town.
Although they had been injured in their previous battle with the Horned Warriors, their combat effectiveness was unaffected, and they could still be of use.
What's more, they had two teammates renowned for their healing abilities.
Meanwhile.
Having reached Miquella's mark, Frieren bent down to examine it. As expected, there was a message: [The carved words surface in the mind. Place my left arm, halfway, here.]
All three consecutive marks gave the same response. By this logic, the rest would be more or less the same.
The only difference was how many pieces Miquella had dismembered himself into.
The silver-haired girl gently touched the golden light at the base of the mark. There was indeed a physical reaction, but it was now somewhere between energy and soul, hardly a physical entity. In other words, it was a conceptual abandonment, a symbolic act. Very profound.
She immediately thought of Ranni's situation, and how Melina had claimed she could find her body in the Golden Capital.
Furthermore, there was the strange transformation of Sidwen's body after death...
"Are Demigod bodies really that easy to cast aside?" It should be difficult, don't you think?
"Of course."
"So Miquella's true body, or at least most of it, still exists in this world. Perhaps it's also hidden in the Land of Shadow."
____
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