There was no time to waste tangling with the Wicker Man.
So, Frieren handed the reins to Melina and stood firmly on the horse's back. At the same time, the Mimic Tear cast Shard Spiral, striking the behemoth and preventing it from spewing fire for a moment.
As the silver-haired girl gathered her magic—one of them evaded at full speed while the other kept its distance, their coordination seamless.
Aspects of the Crucible: Wings.
Seizing the opportunity, Frieren soared into the air, ascending dozens of meters in the blink of an eye. Simple wings certainly couldn't achieve this, at least not so quickly.
A closer look would reveal traces of magic like Zamor Ice Storm and Storm Stomp; she was using wind power to further augment her flight, creating the spectacle of a near-vertical, piercing ascent. Only a top-tier mage capable of multi-casting could succeed.
Whoosh!
In a single breath, Frieren had flown higher than the Wicker Man. The creature finally noticed the golden figure and immediately spat a large fireball.
She avoided it with a light, circling maneuver.
Although she had only used Aspects of the Crucible: Wings a few times, the frequently-flying Frieren understood it by analogy, controlling her posture, angle, and magic with ease. She was simply not a target the clumsy golem could catch.
A careful observation revealed that the Wicker Man was indeed showing signs of wear and tear, its functions impaired and sluggish.
A pity.
In any case, war machines could be rebuilt. With the technology of the Crusade Army and the resources of a vast territory to support them, there was no use in keeping old models. Anything blocking the path had to be cleared.
The golden wings on the silver-haired girl's back suddenly retracted as she took a diving posture.
She fell as fast as a meteor, plunging straight into the Wicker Man's head. The blade that sank into it was none other than the Dark Moon Greatsword.
Swish!
With a powerful slash, she landed a critical hit on the Furnace Golem. Despite its massive size, it was forced to one knee.
"Just fall to pieces."
Frieren immediately unleashed the Whirling Leaf Kick, a newly acquired ability. Simultaneously, the Thorns of Rejection coiled around the Wicker Man's body, constricting and strangling it until, with a final boom, the target collapsed completely to the ground.
Before it could struggle, she fired a continuous barrage of Moonlight Waves, forcibly cleaving its sturdy body into fragments, which disintegrated in a shower of debris.
The clean and decisive kill stopped Melina and the Mimic Tear, who had been preparing to provide support. Such swift movements, as fluid as moving clouds and flowing water; killing a Wicker Man was no more difficult than killing a chicken.
Her abilities as the King of Soul Cinder had become increasingly proficient since entering the Land of Shadow.
Already possessing immense magical power, she was now like a tiger with wings, effortlessly dealing with enemies she had encountered several times before.
Just then, Frieren discovered an unexpected surprise—another treasure had appeared.
[Crimsonburst Crystal Tear]
[Sap from the Shadow Tree, scattered and then pooled at the base of a Furnace Golem, forming a crystal tear over a long period of time.]
[When mixed in the Flask of Wondrous Physick:]
[For a certain period, allows HP to be restored through attacks.]
Finally, another useful one. For Frieren, who possessed numerous combo attacks, life steal was extremely powerful. At the very least, she could unleash a frantic, unrestrained offense while the tear was active. She wondered if it could be paired with Comet Azur.
The options were many.
The Crimsonburst Crystal Tear could even be considered a trump card; after all, it allowed one to turn the tables by force-feeding damage in a short amount of time, a wonderfully versatile tool for a sorcerer.
Although she rarely used the wondrous physick, it was better than nothing. One more trump card meant one more path.
"From the look on your face, you got something good?"
Melina was also happy for Frieren. The latter nodded and replied:
"A very useful tear. But I sense the aura of Scarlet Rot, just ahead in the ruins."
At the mention of this old friend, everyone's expression turned serious. After all, this substance posed a great threat to armies, and if it caused large-scale environmental destruction, things could go wrong. It was best to eliminate it completely to avoid further complications.
The three of them quickened their pace.
With their combined strength and Torrent's speed, it was less an exploration and more a full-blown charge. The monsters along the way were no match for them.
Especially with Frieren and the Mimic Tear fighting together.
Their magic flew back and forth over the Ancient Ruins, including but not limited to Rock Sling, Sorcery: Meteorite of Astel, Comet, and Thorns of Rejection. The Horned Warriors and Kindred of Rot they passed were swatted down like dogs.
The sense of security provided by their firepower allowed Melina to carefully consult and update the map.
She made special notes of new paths.
After all, a top-tier mage blasting their way through could easily alter the terrain. It wasn't as simple as just clearing a road; the changes had to be reported to the Crusade Army to help Messmer formulate his plans.
This ultra-large-scale troop movement, which was sure to be recorded in the history of the Lands Between, would be a test of organization and teamwork.
Clearly, Frieren and the Mimic Tear were not skilled in group combat.
The former, in particular, often had a dissenting attitude and didn't mind fighting many enemies alone.
Thus, the task of coordinating the vanguard with the main army and ensuring they worked together fell on Melina's shoulders. She couldn't let these two somewhat childish mages get too out of hand. As a result, she had to frequently remind them:
"Stay on the main path."
"To think we'd encounter a Divine Beast Dancing Lion outside the Town of the Tower, though it's not as strong as the other one. If you're interested, just finish it off quickly."
"Don't take a detour, there are no collectibles for you over there."
"The depths of those distant ruins can be explored later... No, I'll remind the Crusade Army to keep an eye out for treasure for you."
Melina had to patiently persuade Frieren several times to keep her on the main route.
Since they had reached an agreement, the Mimic Tear had nothing to say, continuing to act as the front-line firepower. Whenever they encountered a slightly tougher enemy, Mother would finish it with a single follow-up shot. Gradually, they ventured deeper, and the Scarlet Rot in the air grew thicker.
At the entrance.
A long-unseen pool of rot spread out before the visitors. The surroundings were a waxy crimson color, filled with an eerie atmosphere, clearly indicating a deep level of contamination.
The Mimic Tear fanned the air in front of its nose and muttered:
"So bizarre. I really can't imagine how strange a Valkyrie with a Law of Scarlet Rot must be."
"For an Empyrean, it should be called the Law of Ripened Rebirth," Melina corrected with precision, then changed the subject. "However, she herself abandoned that law, so it doesn't really count."
"I'll purify it."
Such a large accumulation of Scarlet Rot could not be ignored.
Frieren plucked one of the Flowers of Aeonia from her hair, cradling it gently in her palm. She then infused it with magic, and in a short time, the flower grew to several times its original size.
Though born of Scarlet Rot, in her hands it emitted a fragrant aroma.
Whoosh!
The flower bud seemed to breathe, and in a single inhalation, it drew away the materialized Scarlet Rot, absorbing it all into its petals. Like a super vortex siphoning energy of the same attribute, it left nothing behind, sweeping through the ruins.
The sky was tinged with a unique red hue as it ravenously devoured under the support of Frieren's power.
Go on and consume it all, don't hold back.
As expected, it was the same violent purification as always. The scene couldn't help but make Melina worry.
But on second thought, Frieren had effortlessly dealt with the formidable Swamp of Aeonia back then; this time would be even simpler. A clear piece of evidence was that she had only used a single Great Rune to amplify her power this time and had already purified more than half of it.
In reality, it wasn't the caster's magic that was lacking.
What was lacking was restorative power on a fundamental, rule-based level. The Great Runes, as fragments of the Elden Ring, could naturally turn the tide, allowing the land, freed from the corrosion of rot, to teem with life once more.
"That should be about it."
As Frieren alerted her companions, she had the Flower of Aeonia take one last deep breath, consuming the final wisp of Scarlet Rot.
She then clasped her hands over the flower bud in a sealing gesture.
The power, carrying a sliver of an Outer God's will, naturally fought back, trembling and struggling violently between her fingers. It was a frightening sight for Melina and the Mimic Tear, but fortunately, everything was under control.
The next moment, all fell silent. The struggling Scarlet Rot was completely absorbed.
Then, Frieren placed the headpiece back on.
"Don't worry. This time was a bit strange because the Scarlet Rot in the Land of Shadow has been enhanced by some ancient power, so it took a little effort."
The terrifying corruption, capable of eroding a region and reshaping its ecosystem, was dealt with so casually in her words. She handled it with a flick of her wrist, and the Crusade Army passing through later wouldn't even find a trace.
They would know there was corruption here, but upon arrival, they would find it had all been swept clean by the King of Soul Cinder.
"If we face the Valkyrie Malenia in the future, could she detonate your Flower of Aeonia?"
"Don't worry, Melina, I have countermeasures."
"That's good to hear."
Before the three could breathe a sigh of relief, they heard a rustling sound. It was a swarm of rot-insects, drawn by the commotion. Shaped like shrimp, they held long spears and shot Pest Threads from their abdomens, covering the sky in an instant.
The Mimic Tear swung out a ball of fire, igniting them all without holding back.
"What a buzzkill. Since the Scarlet Rot is gone, you can disappear too."
She didn't even use any special flames; just a sweeping fire augmented by her magic was enough to ignite a large portion of the swarm. They couldn't even get close before being reduced to ash.
The swarm of rot creatures was furious.
But they couldn't stop the party from striding forward. Without the barrier of Scarlet Rot, this place was no longer dangerous.
Frieren didn't even forget to pick up an incantation she saw by the roadside:
[Pest-Thread Spear]
[A technique used by the Kindred of Rot—the swarm. Can be performed as an incantation.]
[Secretes a large amount of sticky threads, divides them into two bundles, and then releases them forward. Charging enhances its power.]
[The swarm are the abandoned kin—]
[Therefore, they regard the Saint of the Bud as their mother.]
Another incantation that players had rated highly. Similarly good at dealing with large targets, it was a superior alternative to Pest Threads. Seeing this, Frieren made a mental note; it would surely be useful later.
The Land of Shadow, rich with ancient power, was truly something else, constantly revealing superior or earlier versions of existing magic.
"Who is the Saint of the Bud?"
Melina answered, "A rot monster that resides in the Rauh Ancient Ruins area. It's skilled with this family of abilities. You can't avoid it if you want to get to the Sealing Tree."
"A powerful rot monster. I wonder if it's more of a threat than a Rotten Dragon?"
Anything related to Scarlet Rot could not be taken lightly.
Since such a thing was blocking the way, it couldn't be ignored. Frieren, who had a history with the goddess of rot, knew full well that her opponent would retaliate if given the chance. It was better to strike first and eliminate the corruption.
She gazed ahead and warned, "I can already feel the enemy's hostile rot aura. It's waiting for us."
Before her words faded, a shriek echoed through the air. Even Melina and the Mimic Tear couldn't help but cover their ears. It was too shrill, too sharp, filled with a deep-seated hatred.
The Saint of the Bud was clearly the culmination of all the Scarlet Rot in the Ancient Ruins.
"Let's go."
After a word of reminder, Frieren took the lead, already poised for battle. Today, she had to eliminate this accumulated, corrupted magic.
Even the slightest remnant would be trouble for the Crusade Army, so it had to be cleaned up thoroughly. This resolve was the ultimate killing intent. A being as strong as the Saint of the Bud could certainly feel it. A powerful enemy was approaching; battle was the only option.
Soon, they arrived at a stretch of scarlet land.
When Frieren casually tried to purify it, it didn't work as expected. It had no effect.
"What's wrong?"
"It's caused by the continuous pollution emanating from the Saint of the Bud. It's not ownerless Scarlet Rot, so it's not easy to clear. But killing it will solve the problem."
"The Mimic Tear and I are ready to support you at any time. You should try to make it quick; we can't afford to waste time."
"Understood. The Sealing Tree is the priority, after all."
Melina and the Mimic Tear nodded, voluntarily falling a step behind and casting a series of buffs and protections.
It was best for them not to rashly interfere in a battle against Scarlet Rot. If their resistance wasn't high enough, they would easily become a burden. It was better to stay far back.
In contrast, the King of Soul Cinder had fought Scarlet Rot numerous times, including its source, an Outer God. She was experienced and reliable enough.
Whoosh!
The moment they passed through the doorway, they felt a dense, corrupted magic—a preemptive deployment by the enemy. The two companions shimmered with light to resist it, while the silver-haired girl remained calm and unmoved.
"I'm already carrying plenty of corruption. Yours is nothing new. Give up these little tricks."
Frieren looked directly at the Saint of the Bud.
The records seemed to call her "Romina," a beautiful name.
In contrast, her form was a scorpion's tail and a shrimp-like creature fused into a petal-humanoid shape. Her movements were twisted, boneless, and every action was filled with disharmony.
Very bizarre.
Befitting her moniker, pink petals fluttered around her like dancing butterflies, filling the air with a fragrant aroma. However, no one could ignore the power of Scarlet Rot within; a moment of carelessness would lead to assimilation and mutation.
In its two hands, it held a weapon resembling a guandao, its blade sharp and menacing, revealing its ferocious side to Frieren.
The next moment, its scorpion tail swept out.
It was an attack that hugged the ground at an extremely low angle; most people would be caught off guard and unable to react.
However, the silver-haired girl leaped over it with a light hop, handily using her Dark Moon Greatsword to parry the pouncing fly-man head. She then used her body weight to drive the blade into the fly-man's mouthparts, flipped over, and carved a deep wound along the large insect's back.
"Roar!"
A pained cry confirmed the attack's effectiveness. The enraged Saint of the Bud swung its blade in a horizontal sweep, only to see Frieren leap again, landing on the very tip of the blade.
Literally dancing on the tip of a blade, she fluidly transitioned into a heavy attack—
Dark Moon Greatsword Lion's Claw!
With a single motion, the frosty sword energy descended from the petal-humanoid's forehead, slicing down through its chest and abdomen, splattering blood and petals. The blow was heavy, powerful, and unstoppable.
Melina and the Mimic Tear looked at each other, stunned. This was what she called being in a hurry?
It was the first time they had seen Frieren so completely dominate an enemy from the very first encounter.
After landing the Lion's Claw, Frieren immediately used the agile footwork of Bloodhound's Step to create distance. A strong gust of wind grazed the back of her head.
She didn't need to look to know a counterattack had arrived.
Anyone who has dealt with rot creatures enough knows their weaknesses aren't so obvious, and they may not even have vitals in the conventional sense. One has to put in some effort to finish them, fighting with the goal of complete annihilation.
The Saint of the Bud's guandao missed, and its anger grew.
How could this be?
It had assumed its opponent was unaware of its powerful resistance to damage and had immediately followed up with an attack, only for it to be dodged.
Was it fast reflexes or a prescient prediction?
It didn't matter, because Frieren, halfway through her dash, suddenly drew back her staff as if making a fist, gathering it. A vast magical power surged, and in an instant, the charged energy erupted in a torrent of blue.
Comet Azur.
The highly compressed magic struck the right side of the Saint of the Bud's scorpion tail squarely, annihilating the stinger first.
No matter, I can still recover—
The thought had just risen when a pain from the depths of its soul stole its reason. Why? What was this feeling? Its whole body felt like it was being torn apart, yet its physical form was intact. A special energy had pierced through the shell of life to strike at its very core.
"Scarlet Rot focuses too much on transforming life through ripened rebirth; its effect on the soul is a bit slow. Or rather, the modification is too crude, leaving weaknesses."
"Others don't scream as casually as you do."
Frieren hadn't used soul-attack magic in a while, mainly because she had been holding back recently, afraid of killing someone. Against a creature of Scarlet Rot, she had no such reservations and unleashed her full power.
Her soul attacks were growing stronger, a reflection of her strengthening control over the First Flame.
Shatter!
Finally, the scorpion tail exploded, taking half of its arthropod body with it.
Its already grotesque body became even more maimed, hideously terrifying, but the Saint of the Bud finally stopped screaming in pain.
It twisted its body and rose again.
Then, its two arthropod torsos coiled up, the hard, keratinous outer shell clicking shut with a metallic sheen, as if equipping a layer of armor. It protected the fragile petal-humanoid at its center, and then began to roll rapidly with a whirring sound.
In a single breath, it was upon Frieren, but she reacted instantly, sidestepping to dodge.
No, wait!
The moment the "wheel" passed her, a long blade extended from its center, thrusting straight for her throat, precise and deadly.
Carian Retaliation! A precise parry followed by a pursuing soul-crystal sword—
Crack! It opened another wound on the Saint of the Bud, channeling a soul attack at the same time. A portion of the monster's soul was silently erased, feeding back to the body as further weakness. The many legs on its arthropod body were seen withering and dying.
That last attack had been launched while enduring its injuries, only to have its soul wounded again. It was at the end of its rope.
Frieren's staff formed a soul-crystal sword—parrying and deflecting, leaving her completely unharmed. From start to finish, she had been an impregnable fortress.
Too strong.
The Saint of the Bud, having survived numerous crusades, had seen many powerful foes, but none like the silver-haired girl. Agile movement, domineering power, and uncanny magic all in one, and even more terrifying, her magical power was bottomless.
She was likely a demigod-level powerhouse. To think the Rauh Ancient Ruins would welcome such a significant figure.
If it didn't go all out, it would die.
At the same time, Frieren had already unleashed Ancient Death Rancor, another soul attack, forcing the Saint of the Bud to retreat, but this time its movement was different.
Whoosh!
Two pairs of beautiful pink wings sprouted from its back.
As it moved, butterflies appeared, dancing around it, an ocean of pink filling the air and spreading a sweet fragrance.
The rule that beauty equals lethality is quite accurate for Scarlet Rot, so Frieren didn't attack rashly. She quickly realized that these butterflies were flying rapidly towards her.
Great Chaos Fireball!
A massive fireball enveloped the area in front of her, colliding with the butterflies and exploding. Flames and pink fragrance filled the clearing.
A portion of the butterflies broke through to pursue and finally exploded around Frieren, but they were met with the ever-present defense of her Twisting Light Wall, blocked completely. The attack was wasted.
In contrast, the Saint of the Bud was burned, its body erupting in flames.
It screamed, clutching its face and rolling on the ground.
Part of its arthropod body was actually melting, and the numerous Scarlet Rot energies that had been protecting it were dispelled, unable to augment its power.
Frieren chose chaos fire because of its overwhelming power.
The power from the Old Witch was an extension of the divinity granted by the Four Kings' Soul, and it was naturally compatible with the soul-based arts. In a sense, it was part of her soul magic, so it was instantly effective against a creature of rot.
Crack-crack!
The Saint of the Bud didn't hesitate, decisively cutting off a portion of its burning body. However, it was only a stalling tactic; its condition was rapidly declining, growing weaker.
Even if it wanted to absorb the surrounding rot energy to strengthen itself, it couldn't, because its opponent had cleared it all away before arriving.
There was no choice but to fight head-on.
Frieren's barrage of Ancient Death Rancor forced it to act.
It had to risk it all.
Suddenly, the Saint of the Bud grew wings again and leaped into the air. At the same time, it coiled its two large arthropod bodies into a disc shape, aimed at the silver-haired girl below, and brought it down like a mountain, a crushing fall.
Unexpectedly, Frieren didn't dodge. A brilliant golden light exploded.
A Lightning Spear took this opportunity to pierce straight through the petal-humanoid's body, bypassing the protection of the two arthropod sections to strike a vital point. The electricity caused the target to stiffen and curl up, rendering it unable to attack.
"A reckless move. You've lost your mind."
The Saint of the Bud watched as a bored expression flashed across its opponent's face, and a new, large soul-crystal sword grew in her hand.
No, I can't take this.
In its desperation, it endured the pain of the lightning and forcibly rolled its body. Thanks to having coiled up earlier, it could move quickly, narrowly missing Frieren's first slash.
But its opponent calmly pursued, flickering to appear right in front of it.
Swish!
The soul-crystal greatsword pierced into the Saint of the Bud's body without pause. It resisted with all its might, its two hands holding its long blade, but felt an absurdly immense force from the other side that it couldn't block at all. It could only watch as the silver-haired girl's attack evolved.
Not only that, but the sword's light actually swelled and spread within the wound, instantly bursting the flower-body apart. The mimicked humanoid form completely collapsed, vanishing in an instant.
In the end, it didn't even have time to let out a cry.
Still not satisfied, Frieren swung the greatsword in a wide circle. The two arthropod limbs were severed and fell to the ground with a thud.
Chaos Flame incineration!
A final operation to kill and bury the evidence announced the end of the rot creature that had occupied the Ancient Ruins for many years.
____
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