No one had expected a mere Starlight illumination spell to possess such immense power. It was simply outrageous.
Every academy soldier present felt like their head had been struck heavily, leaving them dizzy and blinded. They wouldn't be able to see their target for a short while, effectively neutralizing their combat ability.
"Quick, into the fortifications!"
Even so, they displayed exceptional training, moving into the defensive works. They were battered and disoriented, but facing Frieren's power, they had no choice but to take cover. Confronting a Shardbearer head-on was suicidal. If the world wasn't spinning around them, probably more than half would have already fled.
The mages were absolutely fuming, cursing her despicable tactics.
Just look at her setup! A proper mage wearing heavy chest armor and vambraces, and wielding that idiotic Demi-Human Queen's Staff. Her opening moves, Crystal Barrage and Starlight—such low-level spells—were infuriating.
It seemed like every action proved her mediocrity, yet she bulldozed through with sheer overwhelming power, winning purely through magnitude. Any casual spell became a wide-area devastation; even an illumination spell was now incredibly threatening.
At this moment, the more formidable Frieren appeared, the more she trampled on the Academy faction's pride. Didn't this prove they had been wrong?
Humiliation!
Dizzy and blinded by the Starlight explosion, tears streamed involuntarily from their eyes. They had no idea what the attacker was doing. Probably laughing secretly—truly the most malicious kind of mage.
Little did they know, she was using this opportunity to study the seal at the Academy's entrance.
"Quite profound. It can be analyzed, but it will take time, and they won't give me that chance," the silver-haired girl examined methodically. "Are there any other clues..."
Nearby lay the corpse of a mage.
She found a map on his body, with a specific area circled and marked. Could this be some kind of clue? Having seen many such patterns, Frieren could make a rough guess.
It likely related to how to undo the seal, but the problem was, there was no time to think further.
These were, after all, well-trained and capable elite Academy troops. Within that short time, they were already getting back on their feet one by one, looking ready for a bloody battle. They were thoroughly enraged now; their honor was at stake and had to be reclaimed.
"This was an accidental teleport, but I've activated the site of grace here. I can come back anytime. Conquering the Academy can wait."
Invisible Body.
The silver-haired girl's figure turned transparent within a burst of light, vanishing without a trace. If she were acting purely with a conquest mindset, she could have forcefully bombarded the Academy of Magic, even slaughtering all dissenters within. But that would incur losses. She shouldn't continue to damage the precious assets of the Lands Between.
So, Frieren chose to retreat, leaving the scene without hesitation. As for whether this "greeting" would further infuriate the Academy faction, that wasn't her concern. Let them fume.
Almost the instant the intruder left, countless ranged magical attacks bombarded a large area.
The night was lit up as if by day, brilliantly bright. Several mages coordinating their attacks rivaled the power of the earlier Crystal Barrage, seemingly a spiteful, tit-for-tat response—You like wide-area attacks? So do I.
Rumble!
"Alright, stop, stop! Stop bombing, she's already gone!" Aiken yelled. "Where were you earlier? Don't make a mess now."
Simultaneously, several magic knights arrived and inspected the sealed gate, finding nothing, as expected.
Henlyss, poking his head out from the shield formation, said, "I suspect it was an accidental teleport. Remember the portal in the Laskar Ruins? Though it's been a long time, Frieren could probably reactivate it."
"Regardless, let's strengthen our guard first, focusing protection on the sealed gate."
"Right, that woman will definitely attack the gate later. Prepare early. Bring the magic knights over too. The more, the better. The war has already begun."
"Everyone, stay sharp!"
The commander keenly sensed the shift in atmosphere. The previously arrogant garrison troops had lost their spirit, appearing demoralized.
Anyone would be stunned after such a blow, especially since Frieren's demonstrated power was unexpected. She had strolled through their carefully set defenses with ease. Her objective was clearly to enter the Academy of Magic.
She wouldn't return immediately, but that also meant her next attempt would be a bold, direct intrusion. How could they possibly let her in? Would they allow the Academy mages to be utterly humiliated?
Henlyss suggested, "We should mobilize more Cuckoo Knights, as well as the nobles' private soldiers."
"The former can be arranged, but don't get too involved with those nobles. They're all loyalists to the Caria Royal Family and constantly scheming about succession."
In fact, rumors had been circulating recently: activity had been detected in the core region of the once-declining Caria Royal Family's territory. Could someone have usurped the place? Or, more terrifyingly, had Ranni returned? No one was certain, but precautions were necessary.
The Manor was too far away, separated by the lake, and the Academy faction, not skilled in offense, could only reluctantly accept the situation. However, they definitely didn't want dealings with the Royalist nobles. Too much trouble.
After much consideration, they concluded they had to rely on their own strength to confront a demigod.
"Everyone, move quickly! Recall all magic constructs and Albinaurics. Consolidate internal defenses only."
Today was destined to be a sleepless night for the Academy of Magic. Who could possibly sleep after being directly attacked by a Shardbearer?
They not only reinforced their frontal defenses but also recalled troops patrolling outside. Thanks to this, the lake region experienced a rare moment of tranquility.
Little did they know, the culprit had already departed, speeding towards Caria Manor.
"I didn't expect to teleport right in front of the Academy," Melina, sitting behind Frieren, sounded slightly embarrassed.
"I also didn't know a battle would break out immediately."
"It doesn't matter. The objectives were achieved anyway. The site of grace is lit, and we have a clue about the key," Frieren replied with a sweet smile.
"What do you plan to do about the Academy later?"
"The current situation is that Stormveil Castle's army is probing eastward from the cliffs, testing the Royal Capital forces garrisoning the Grand Lift. To ensure the safety of our main southern forces, Liurnia cannot fall into enemy hands, so the Academy must be occupied."
"Besides," Frieren admitted, "I have selfish reasons too. Having all that magical knowledge in my grasp would be comforting."
Back during her time in the Grand Archives of Lothric, she had coveted it immensely. How wonderful would it be to immerse herself completely, reading everything? Unfortunately, no one helped her gain real control, so she always had to sneak around.
Having her own faction made things much easier. She could surely swim freely in the ocean of knowledge within the Academy of Magic. That would make the journey worthwhile.
Hopefully, they held some unexpected, delightful discoveries.
"In that case, you should indeed communicate more with Ranni. Legally speaking, she is the heir to the Caria Royal Family, and the Academy falls within their territory. Though not a Shardbearer, the power of an Empyrean cannot be ignored."
"That's why I postponed exploring Liurnia of the Lakes. I'm going to pay her a visit first."
"That's good." Melina hoped the Tarnished would establish contact with an Empyrean soon; otherwise, after repairing the Elden Ring, she wouldn't even know which Law to choose.
North of the Four Belfries, on the northern shore of Liurnia.
The grass was emerald green, the air filled with a fresh scent. As the spirit steed Torrent trotted across the vast land, dandelion seeds seemed to drift in the wind. Riding on Torrent's back, Frieren could gaze at the distant lake region, faintly seeing giant lobsters fighting.
Though part of the same land, the territory governed by Stormveil Castle, even including the Weeping Peninsula, was perhaps not as vast as Liurnia of the Lakes. Both regions boasted beautiful scenery, each with its own unique splendor. At least there was life here.
"Truly wonderful. I just love this feeling of traversing a vast world," the silver-haired girl reached out, catching a fleeting speck of magic from the Erdtree.
"You've now seen the few remaining intact regions of the Lands Between," Melina said with a hint of regret. Further north, the consequences of the Shattering and the War against the Giants continued to devastate the environment, leaving behind only ruin.
"…Therefore, we absolutely cannot allow large-scale war to occur in the Liurnia of the Lakes region. Not the Academy, nor the Royal Capital army. The central and eastern areas, especially around the Grand Lift, need to be suppressed accordingly."
"Aren't you afraid of fighting Margit again?"
"Since he came down the lift, he intends to fight me. Worst case, I'll just drive him back again."
"Let's discuss that later. This time, Margit is surely bringing elite forces from Leyndell, the Royal Capital. Stormveil Castle's forces would likely shatter on contact. If you plan to face them alone, I object. That's too risky, even if a Finger Maiden shouldn't interfere too much with a Tarnished's decisions."
"I'm not that reckless." Although Frieren had entertained the thought, the margin for error was indeed too low. Furthermore, her current strongest anti-army magic happened to be Scarlet Rot—an awkward choice in any scenario. It required careful planning.
Seeing the silver-haired girl abandon the idea, Melina felt slightly relieved. Based on her understanding, the Tarnished usually welcomed such rapidly changing battlefield situations.
As they proceeded, several jellyfish suddenly floated up in the middle of the path ahead. They emanated a trace of hostility towards the spirit steed, seemingly angered by the intrusion into their territory, puffing themselves up aggressively.
Swoosh!
Frieren instinctively tested them with Glintstone Pebble and immediately killed the target. These creatures were weaker than expected. They scattered instantly, clearly unwilling to provoke a strong enemy.
The creatures of Liurnia of the Lakes were certainly novel. Perhaps due to the abundance of water, the ecosystem thrived, nurturing all sorts of strange wild beings… Wait, did a point of light appear after its death?
New equipment after such a long time? Discovering treasure, the silver-haired girl quickened her pace to investigate.
[Jellyfish Shield]
[The spirit jellyfish that float and wander in spirit grounds throughout the Lands Between.]
[An item using its head directly as a shield.]
[The translucent head is very light, but due to its soft texture, it cannot block thrusting attacks.]
[Ash of War: Contagious Fury. Induces the jellyfish's fury, allowing the wielder to share the feeling, increasing attack power for a time.]
Judging by the description alone, it seemed unremarkable. Nothing special.
However, its true utility could only be known through personal testing. Thinking this, Frieren equipped it.
It was very light, not hindering agile movements at all; she could dodge and weave like a warrior without issue. It felt quite handy after a few swings, translucent and beautiful like a piece of art.
But it couldn't block thrusts.
For her, this drawback wasn't significant. Since the Jellyfish Shield was relatively fragile, she could generate a barrier outside it to deflect blows—
No, she should use the native power of the Lands Between, a new method: What if she overlaid Thops's Barrier onto the shield? Theoretically, equipment with an Ash of War conflicted with it, but modifying the spell's operational method should work. Such limitations wouldn't constrain a powerful mage.
After adapting to its movements, Frieren deemed it sufficient. The crucial part was how the Ash of War performed.
Contagious Fury!
The moment it activated, spectral blood splattered, and resonant magic surged through her body. An inexplicable fervor boiled up, her magical power intensifying, flowing ceaselessly. Only one thought remained: charge forward—
Glintstone Arc.
As one of her most frequently used spells in the Lands Between, her proficiency needed no explanation. The amplified blue arc swept through the trees, overturning soil. Despite investing minimal magic, its power rivaled a dragon's breath attack.
Frieren braced against the staff's recoil while touching the shield to cease the Ash of War. It was simpler than expected—a direct boost to attack power, just as the name implied, but its actual performance was excellent.
If used with even stronger magic… wouldn't the amplified effect be even greater?
She might misjudge alone, but if in doubt, she could always check the players' advice:
[Haven't put down the Jellyfish Shield since I picked it up.]
[Just pop the skill every few steps while exploring. Simple and brutal, pure numerical damage incinerates enemies in minutes.]
[Best paired with Comet Azur. Turns everything into target practice.]
[A must-have for mages. If you're into buff stacking, save a slot for the Jellyfish Shield; it's convenient and efficient. I often carry it just for looks, it really stands out.]
[Good stuff, love using it.]
[Although it's been adjusted numerically a few times, it's generally still viable. A direct percentage increase to attack is rare. Not to mention its outstanding appearance. Stats are temporary, beauty is eternal.]
[Prince of Death's Staff in one hand, Jellyfish Shield in the other, Snow Witch Set equipped. Ready to go.]
"...The experience is largely the same, the key is convenience. With Thops's Barrier, it can now perfectly synergize with the shield, and its lightness and flexibility won't hinder movement. This allows Frieren to be a more agile battle mage. No, a mage with a higher margin for error."
"You're now part of the permanent equipment loadout."
Liurnia of the Lakes was truly nice, definitely richer than Limgrave. To think she picked up such an important piece of equipment by the roadside, almost missing it. She eagerly started looking around for suitable targets, deciding to practice with it while riding Torrent.
Rumble rumble.
Continuous magical explosions extended towards the northernmost part of the lake, the resulting smoke and dust soon reaching the edge of a ruin. Only then did the output of magic finally cease.
Melina took the initiative to explain, "That place was once one of the battlefields where Cuckoo Knights fought Caria Knights. Further ahead is the Manor. We're almost there."
"Be mindful of the magical traps over there."
"Hasn't the war been over for many years?"
"Yes, but the more powerful things are, the longer they can persist. Besides, the nobles who support the Royal Family are still around. In many people's minds, it remains an irreplaceable sacred place."
Speaking of Cuckoo Knights, Frieren had indeed eliminated a few during this time. Their average soldier quality was higher than her own troops. It couldn't be helped; outside the southern two regions, everything felt like high-level content. Limgrave truly was the starting zone; her forces still had a long way to go.
While pondering this, her gaze suddenly sharpened. On the other side of the ruins, was someone watching?
Who?
________
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