Frieren in Elden Ring

"The falling star opens the road to Nokron, the Eternal City. So that's what it meant," Ranni murmured thoughtfully.

She had divined the general direction but hadn't anticipated the method of its realization.

"Thank you, Frieren. Now, the fate of the Carian Royal Family can finally begin to turn. The plan can advance further."

"The doll's mana reaction is gradually weakening." After I teleport to the magic tower, I will, as promised, present a legendary weapon from the royal family's collection."

"We'll see each other again."

Waging a demigod-level war using a vessel like a doll had long since pushed Ranni to her limit; she had to leave first.

She was too tired and too tense. The princess of the moon, skilled in planning, needed to meditate carefully and review everything. Every piece of information Radahn had spoken today was critically important and required investigation.

Frieren, remaining where she was, looked at the sturdy corpse and abruptly stretched out her hand.

Om!

Before she even touched it, the Great Rune had already reacted, actively flying out of the body of its dead master and into the silver-haired girl's arms. It was a ring-shaped fragment, combining with hers to form an even greater power.

She lightly tapped it, activating a rippling energy. A glittering golden light shone, illuminating the land—it was the light of Grace from bygone days.

Wherever it passed, power surged within the people.

Having just arrived, Frieren immediately tried the power of the blessing's favor. The amplification was immense. After 5,000 years, multiple Great Runes were finally gathered.

"Praise be to Her Majesty!"

A full three companies of the Southern Army dropped to one knee with a great rustle, bowing their heads in a salute, overjoyed.

The gamble had paid off. Having risked their lives several times, having traveled thousands of miles, they had finally proven that choosing Ranni was right. Supporting Frieren back then was the most correct decision of their lives. She had never disappointed, accomplishing a great feat in less than ten years, unprecedented in history.

Since the Shattering, the Two Fingers had declared, "He who holds two Great Runes may have an audience with the Elden Ring." To this day, she was the only one to have achieved it—a power unseen in five thousand years.

In fact, Frieren controlled three Great Runes, as the one in the hands of the Queen of the Full Moon wasn't going anywhere.

Setting aside the fact that in a battle between two sovereigns, the fragment belongs to the victor, she simply hadn't demanded it. Taking a step back, it could also be considered property of the Carian Royal Family.

And the heir to the royal family was allied with Frieren.

So it was still hers.

As for Radahn's, its value was off the charts. Defeating the strongest demigod in the Combat Festival to claim the spoils, under the watchful eyes of all, witnessed by ten thousand soldiers, taking the lead in a clash of four demigods—it was indisputable.

"Her Majesty will forge a new Eternal Dynasty! You will be the Eternal King!"

"Even during Godrick's entire life of conquest, he could never have fought such a series of high-stakes, consecutive battles, right?"

"Does the scale of his campaign against the ancient dragons count?"

"Then we've also fought ancient dragons and giants, battled across the entire Lands Between, ahh!"

"We even defeated an Outer God!"

The Southern Army, from top to bottom, erupted in cheers, sharing in the glory. After all, a large portion of them had followed Frieren from the Battle of Stormveil and the Battle of the Church of Vows until today.

Everyone had a premonition that it was not yet over, but the courage distilled along this journey made them fearless of any campaign, even if it meant reenacting a battle of myths.

The runes offered up by the Blood Dynasty's rabble were enough for everyone to get an upgrade.

As they were speaking, the silver-haired girl raised the Starscourge Greatswords. As the final victor, she was naturally entitled to the spoils of war. This world-renowned divine weapon had changed hands. At this moment, the sounds of celebration on the scene grew even louder.

[Starscourge Greatsword]

[The black iron greatsword wielded by General Radahn.]

[A paired weapon designed with a lion's mane motif.]

[In his youth, Radahn was famed for the legend of his star-scourging.]

[It is said the gravity crest on the sword was carved at that time.]

The weapon's reinforcement level was extremely high, reaching +9, just a single step away from the god-slaying weapon level of +10.

It was said that not a single god-slaying weapon existed in the Lands Between; it was a realm almost impossible to reach. One could imagine how many resources had been poured into this sword; the hardship involved was likely comparable to the difficulty of defeating a demigod.

Unfortunately, its weight was too exaggerated.

It wasn't difficult for Frieren's strength to wield it, but the key was that her body size was a complete mismatch. It would obstruct her vision and also change her fighting style.

Unless she used her normal state, releasing her limits, to fight in a posture that matched her strength.

The growth of the elven race was indeed slow, but as long as one was strong enough, they could fully manifest an adult form. With Frieren's power, it was sufficient, but for now, choosing an "aged" form was more suited to her life, and there was no need to change.

In the future, a formidable enemy might appear that would require her to adopt her adult elf form, but who knew what the consequences of releasing her limits would be?

Never mind. It was better to focus on the weapon skill.

[Starcaller Cry]

[Cross the twin swords and point them to the sky while roaring, a skill that uses a gravity wave to pull in enemies.]

[Activate again to deliver a crushing blow with the gravity-wreathed swords.]

Frieren had already witnessed its basic performance in battle. It was indeed powerful, but overall, it didn't fit her fighting style. She could achieve the same with magic. It would have to be shelved.

"Not satisfied?" Melina asked.

"A little, but +9 reinforced weapons are few and far between. What is there to be picky about?"

"Congratulations. And it's very symbolic, worthy of being called the emblem of the Redmane Army. Later, you can test their attitude."

Melina had been constantly considering matters of governance for this inexperienced sovereign. Clearly, her partner had recognized the need for the Redmane Army's submission, but how to transition smoothly was also important. The aftermath needed to be considered next.

Hearing this, Frieren nodded. Of course, she knew that the revival of the land still required effort.

Crack!

At this moment, Radahn's corpse before them began to crumble. The flesh, polluted by Scarlet Rot for many years and having suffered heavy trauma, shattered at a touch. Most of it turned to dust and disappeared in the wind.

All was silent. Even his opponents stood silently in tribute, feeling a touch of melancholy for the departure of the strongest demigod.

The one to take over the title would be the New Lord of Souls. The Great Rune was now being given to the victor.

"Is a new module about to be triggered?"

"Once a demigod-level Rune is refreshed, Frieren will gain some extra functions, like auto-looting, treasure maps, and save points, which are very useful. Her ability to achieve perfect endings in previous worlds was also inseparable from them."

However, before she could study it carefully, the ground rumbled violently and split open a huge chasm. The land was rapidly decaying, as if about to sink into the sea.

Jerren shouted, "Your Majesty, the erosion here is too severe! There might be secondary disasters!"

"Is it because of Radahn's Scarlet Rot?"

"Correct. He himself, having been hit head-on by the Flower of Aeonia, was a super source of pollution. It was just suppressed by the General for many years. Now, he finally can't hold on anymore. The tens of thousands of us might all be drowned—"

"I'll try."

Before his words faded, Frieren fiercely plunged her two staves into the ground, each amplified and enhanced by a Great Rune.

Garden magic, at unprecedented full power, instantly spread across the Wailing Dunes.

The scorching sensation from the battle's aftershocks in the air was replaced by a fragrant breeze. A hundred flowers bloomed, grasses and trees grew lush, and thousands of roots extended into the earth, firmly gripping this piece of land, preventing it from collapsing.

Immediately after, Frieren pointed from afar at the coastline and made a powerful grasping motion.

Rise!

Gravity magic forcibly lifted over ten kilometers of the seabed. Amidst the rumbling tremors, men and horses were sent tumbling. But they couldn't be bothered to stand firm; they just stared dumbfounded as a tall building rose from flat ground, the seawater forcibly pushed back.

Moving mountains and filling seas was no less than this.

Who was the one who had just won the battle of four gods? And still had strength left? Even with the mana supplemented by the new Great Rune, it was incredible.

Whenever they thought Frieren had reached her limit, the reality was always the opposite.

The sea wall and the garden magic held back the waves.

The Wailing Dunes were no longer polluted crimson earth, but a riot of color and overflowing fragrance—the best memorial to the great battle.

Having done all this, the silver-haired girl wiped the sweat from her forehead and conveniently put away her staves and Great Rune. Even with the mighty power of the Elden Ring fragments, she had over-consumed, truly drained of her mana.

"So tired."

"In your current state, if you encounter danger, it will be troublesome. Let me allocate the runes for you."

"I'll be counting on you, Melina. But this time, the points need to be distributed evenly."

Who knew how long it had been since her last balanced attribute increase. Frieren needed to shore up her weaknesses. Don't be fooled by the fact that on the surface, her Astrologer account was a hero-level sorcerer; it was too specialized. Once she fought in high-end engagements, she had to mobilize her main body's attributes for reinforcement, which also made her tire more easily.

Her main body's stat panel was a mix of a large number of dangerous items that needed to be sorted out. That was her numerical state when active in her own world, not suitable for the rules of the Lands Between; she had to be more careful.

Sooner or later, she would grow into a quality build.

The silver-haired girl actively absorbed the runes in front of everyone. Her state quickly recovered, causing some spies in the dark to retract their ambitions.

Don't even think about playing tricks on the foremost sorcerer of the Lands Between.

Compared to before the battle, she had grown another fraction. Now, she was the strongest demigod.

Maiden?

The Southern Army was more interested in Melina's performance. Although unseen, she was genuinely responsible for Her Majesty's rune enhancement, not some ethereal "air friend." Her influence was immeasurable.

Edgar stepped forward, bowed, and requested instructions, "Your Majesty, the Blood Dynasty has left behind a lot of equipment. Shall we begin cleaning the battlefield?"

"Of course. Take whatever you want. And grab a few prisoners for interrogation while you're at it. We need intelligence."

"As you command. Also, your friends have arrived. Shall we lift the alert?"

"Lift it."

"Lift it."

After the great battle, the Southern Army guard had strictly cordoned off the scene, protecting their sovereign. The outer layer was surrounded by elite troops, fearing some ambusher, as Frieren had experienced this several times.

Caelid had bad luck; she kept running into sneak attacks, especially from the belligerent Lord of Blood who fought without honor, forcing one to be on guard.

But now, her condition had recovered significantly.

The first to run over was none other than Millicent. Hand resting on her sword hilt, she said with lingering fear:

"To have won in a war of four demigods... that Waterfowl Dance move you used against Radahn and Mohg was truly magnificent!"

"A pity it was only the first stance."

"It's already incredible. It's said that the Valkyrie Malenia also cultivated the Flowing Sword style for many years to reach mastery. Now, she is the strongest swordmaster in the entire Lands Between."

"So you plan to change your goal?"

"No. In my view, Frieren, you are more talented. Besides, the Haligtree is far away and sealed, difficult to reach."

"Since you want to train in swordsmanship with me, why not just join?"

Having laid the groundwork for so long, she finally had the chance to ask. After all, Millicent's relationship with the Valkyrie was not shallow, and it also involved the matter of the Goddess of Scarlet Rot. It was always good to pay more attention.

"Rest assured, I don't mean joining the army. You can act like the Tarnished Guild in Stormveil. If there's a major event, I'll call on you."

"I'll consider it."

Hearing this, her eyes lit up. In reality, she had as good as agreed.

Thinking carefully, following this faction of the Southern Army, there would be no shortage of battles. It was guaranteed to be lively.

Millicent, lost in thought, stood by the coast in silence. Today, she felt an inexplicable sense of closure, as if the fall of General Starscourge also represented the end of a piece of her own karma. Why? Continuing her journey would surely provide an answer.

Meanwhile, Alexander, while greeting people, was cleaning up Radahn's remains, putting some chunks of flesh into his jar interior.

"Then I'll leave him to you."

Frieren had never understood this heroic burial rite, but she respected it.

And she believed that Radahn, his soul drawn away by Miquella, had at least died physically. If they were to meet again, it might not be in the same form.

"To be able to contain the body of a hero is also an honor for a warrior. It's a pity my performance was too poor, far inferior to yours. I was still too lax in my training... Next, I will also accompany you on your journey."

"Where to?"

"The Altus Plateau, the Volcano, even the Sky City. I want to see how magnificent they are."

"We'll see each other then."

Next, she looked at Blaidd in the distance. He nodded and pointed towards the direction the meteorite had fallen, then departed in a hurry, with no time for lengthy explanations.

He was likely acting as her servant-scout, scouting ahead.

Although Frieren really wanted to immediately enter the Eternal City of Nokron to search, her subordinates probably wouldn't allow their superior to disappear right away. Besides, there were still many areas in Caelid unexplored, and a series of aftermath arrangements needed to be made...

At this thought, she scratched her head, only then realizing her hair was a mess. She used the two Flowers of Aeonia to re-tie her twin ponytails.

Perfect.

The fatigue of battle was mostly gone. She also held the superweapon of Scarlet Rot, and was curious to face two acquaintances.

"So you represent the Volcano?"

Her gaze towards Bernahl and Patches held a hint of wariness. She had done her basic investigative work; through the Southern forces, she had learned enough to know the two were closely connected to Volcano Manor, their backgrounds significant.

It was said that even the shardbearer Rykard had been defeated. Then they could not be underestimated.

Moreover, this weapon arts teacher was a Tarnished of kingly caliber, his state complete, possessing power not inferior to a demigod. In a sense, he was currently the strongest person present.

"Don't be a stranger," Patches rubbed his hands. "We don't represent the Volcano, just here to witness as free individuals."

"Welcome."

"You believe that just like that? That's why you get tricked by me."

Frieren raised an eyebrow and released a slight pressure. "That's because your petty tricks are harmless. Otherwise, I would take care of you with various spells."

Hearing this, Patches's neck shrank, sweat pouring down like rain. He laughed it off and didn't mention it again. He was just joking. In reality, he knew best where to draw the line. If he had truly tried to trick her to death in previous worlds, he wouldn't have survived to reach the Lands Between.

"The mercenary fee, I will, as promised, give you 1.5 times the friendship price, as encouragement for your courage."

"Really?"

"Go get your reward. I need to catch up with Bernahl."

Although interacting with Patches was always filled with off-the-wall deceit, everyone knew their limits, and there was some fate as old friends.

In the past, Frieren, newly possessing game magic and immersed in it, had indeed been tricked. As she later inherited various powers, he no longer dared to act rashly. The two had even fought alongside each other at one point. So, giving a friendship price was fine.

The victory at the Battle of the Church of Vows was also partly thanks to the Omen Shackles he sold.

"And you? Teacher Bernahl."

"It was just a whim to teach a few weapon arts. It's not worthy of you respecting me so much."

"It's nothing." Her tone shifted, "I was going to ask what you came for, but your eyes lack a firm purpose. You probably can't answer me."

"Correct. I purely came to watch a combat festival."

The two fell silent.

As fellow Tarnished of kingly caliber, they should have had more in common to talk about, but they had both lost their original maidens, which was not a good thing. If they were to discuss their respective identities, it would be even more complicated, involving power struggles.

No one had expected that after that meeting at the Stormhill Shack, things would develop to this point today. Times had changed.

After a moment of contemplation, Bernahl asked, "I heard you have a spirit maiden named Melina, who also gifted you that spirit steed, Torrent?"

Frieren nodded.

"...Since you fought an Outer God and a demigod in the swamp for her, she must be very important to you. I probably don't need to remind you to protect her. In short, even if you have to pay some price yourself, don't lose the partner who has been with you all along."

"You're hiding some stories, but I accept it. What are your plans next?"

"For now, I'll just get by at the Volcano. Who knows how the war will turn out."

Bernahl shook his head. Regarding the battle on the Altus Plateau, he unreservedly mentioned some of Volcano Manor's arrangements, which truly surprised Frieren, who lacked intelligence capabilities.

So it really was Eldritch. The Lands Between.

Interesting.

The Lords of Cinder had indeed inexplicably developed a connection to the land of the Erdtree, but what was important were the subsequent changes.

The new monsters jointly researched by the Devouring Serpent and the Saint of the Deep performed well, even giving the Royal Capital Army a headache.

Many plateau villages were destroyed. Presumably, Elden-ki was also at their wit's end.

"Thank you for your intelligence, Bernahl. I know the basic information now."

"You would have heard it sooner or later anyway."

"You give me the feeling of being dust-laden from a long journey. Are you planning to go somewhere far away?"

"Truly perceptive. Correct. In the future, I will go to the Sky City to seize Destined Death. The sealing by the Golden Order is wrong. We must liberate it."

"I will go there too. Perhaps we can join forces in the future."

Bernahl shook his head, then waved his hand. Frieren, seemingly sensing something, responded to his farewell. Perhaps there was only one person who could challenge the Black Blade. This was the persistence he had sought for many years. At that time, Bernahl would be a worthy rival.

The party from Volcano Manor did not stay long. Apart from the elusive Bernahl, even Patches left early. After collecting his mercenary pay, he ran off in a flash.

He clearly just came to pick up scraps. In the future, he would most likely boast about participating in the Combat Festival and jointly defeating a demigod.

Frieren also solemnly bid farewell to the other challengers respectively.

Some planned to rest first, some departed in a hurry, and some sighed with emotion for a long time, savoring the memory...

The dust settled.

As everyone took their leave one after another, it created an atmosphere of an ending. Even the earth-shaking battle of four gods in Caelid had finally come to a close.

"Your Majesty, what's next?"

The Southern Army quickly cleaned up the battlefield, their movements practiced and familiar.

"Don't just stand there," Frieren said with a smile. "This is the time when we should be having a victory feast."

Edgar slapped his forehead and muttered to himself, "I've been so tense lately, I forgot the procedure. That's right, we must properly reward everyone. But the supplies we brought might not be enough."

"Redmane Castle's reserves are more than enough. We were prepared to hold out for many years," Jerren's reply was reassuring. All was ready.

"Let's begin."

The crowd reassembled at Redmane Castle, which was now bathed in the fragrance of flowers.

The collapsed areas had, of course, been repaired. With Frieren's magic, it was no problem. Even the cliffs surrounding the castle were covered in blooming flowers and vines, their fragrance wafting through the air. Perhaps the largest city in Caelid would also become the most beautiful architectural complex in the region.

The last one to remain on the desolate battlefield, the silver-haired girl strolled on the beach, leaving a string of footprints behind her, stretching into the distance.

The sea tide surged, its sound incessant. The waves, one after another, submerged the rock pits on the coast, burying a world-altering battle. But no one would forget; the coastal flower fields told of everything.

She enjoyed the tranquility, while also walking past player messages:

[I did it, I did it, I won!]

Whenever her gaze shifted to the message box, she would find that she had won this battle.

Fortunately, the harvest was plentiful. While everyone was feasting, Frieren had to make a non-stop trip back to the Great Grace, heading straight for the Two Fingers' room to exchange the Remembrance. She couldn't wait. Probably not many Tarnished noticed she had gone back, as they were also busy focusing on the Combat Festival.

Thus, besides the Starscourge Greatsword, she obtained another new weapon:

[Lion Greatbow]

[The black iron greatbow used by General Radahn.]

[A weapon designed with a lion's mane motif, containing the gravity power of the Starscourge.]

[Only when used together with "Radahn's Spears" can it become a true hero's weapon.]

So that was it. The super arrow rain that fell from the sky in that weapon skill relied on this, which was the effect of the "Radahn's Rain" skill—truly grand.

Although Frieren rarely used bows in combat, it was undoubtedly a ranged, area-of-effect damage skill. Anyone with knowledge would immediately recognize the power of the strongest demigod; it was incredibly shocking.

But according to player feedback, the Lion Greatbow didn't seem very popular. The focus of discussion was also on other things.

[Radahn, there's only one reason for your defeat: your horse isn't as fast as mine.]

[Why does my Torrent die so easily?]

[Bad horsemanship.]

[My Tarnished is peerless in the world, whether on horseback or on foot.]

[Feels like he's not as good as Caelid's number one expert, the number one young person, and the Black Blade Kindred. Can't even rank in the top three on the national server.]

[Remember to equip Radahn's Great Rune. One of the most useful Great Runes. Max HP, Focus Points, and Stamina all +15%. Instantly turns you into a mighty battlemage like the General.]

[Why is wolf-bro talking about a place where stars fall? I don't get it. Can any master translate?]

[Look for the red dot on the map.]

[According to the process, you should go explore the Eternal City to enter the richest Ranni questline storyline. But you can also explore freely. Most things that should be unlocked are.]

Frieren felt a huge amount of information flooding in, not knowing what to do.

She had to.

She stretched lazily and murmured, "The freer exploration is probably just beginning..."

_____

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