Minor foes lay ahead.
After departing the hillside near the Chapel of Anticipation, Frieren began wandering towards the distant city outskirts. Sure enough, she soon encountered several enemies that had become living corpses.
Her convenience as a mage allowed her to easily dispatch them from afar with Glintstone Pebbles, readily acquiring Runes. According to Melina, a large portion of these creatures had emerged due to the shattering of the Elden Ring. The once great Age of Plenty had passed, the Erdtree's system of life and death had collapsed, and the world was now teeming with legions of the half-dead.
One dared not look too closely at their faces; a careful glance revealed them to be little more than desiccated mummies shuffling along with faltering steps.
Too weak. They barely yielded any Runes.
"To think so many living corpses exist beneath the seemingly radiant Erdtree," Frieren mused. "This world isn't quite as brilliant as it appears on the surface."
Of course, it was still a slight improvement over the situation in the world desperately sustained by linking the fire. In Frieren's view, the world of Dark Souls made organizing large-scale, reliable magic research incredibly difficult. In contrast, the Lands Between possessed a true academy of magic – something of immeasurable value.
Magical technology was the primary engine of progress; it could undoubtedly change the world.
However, Liurnia of the Lakes was still a long way off. Exploration needed to be slow and deliberate, with no room for haste. For the time being, her main activity involved riding her spirit steed, roaming the land, eliminating monsters, and gathering Runes.
She strictly adhered to one principle: grind levels diligently wherever it was safe, and sleep soundly when rest was needed. She knew that once she engaged with the main storyline, explored new maps, or delved into self-contained dungeons, the environment would become intensely demanding, allowing no margin for error. There would be no luxury for grinding levels then. Every available moment had to be seized now.
Caution above all.
Her extensive experience with Souls-like games had ingrained caution in Frieren. She left no corner unchecked, ignored no enemy, and always meticulously inspected any new environment before proceeding.
Moving at this careful, measured pace, the afternoon arrived. Only then did she urge her steed onward more quickly. If one could ignore the living corpses and the occasional soldier scattered about, the landscape was indeed quite beautiful.
A short while later, a dilapidated stone church entered her line of sight. A line of text materialized above it: Church of Elleh.
Whenever she found herself so completely immersed in exploring this world that the line between it and reality blurred, one or two small details would inevitably serve as a reminder that this wasn't real. After all, genuine reality didn't feature floating text annotations delivered with the omniscience of a god's-eye view.
The most noticeable figure within the church ruins was a man clad in red.
"Hello?" Frieren ventured.
"Ah, you're Tarnished, aren't you?" the man replied. "And you don't appear hostile. That being the case, perhaps we could discuss some business..."
The man in red introduced himself as Kalé, a travelling merchant who considered the open road his home. It was said that merchants like him had left their footprints in every corner of the Lands Between.
The mention of travelling merchants sparked a vivid memory for Frieren. Back in her own reality, the elf village was remarkably insular, often going years without any contact from the outside world. The rare visitors were usually daring merchants who acted as crucial conduits for the exchange of goods.
Whether conducting business in lands plagued by demons or overrun by monsters, such merchants possessed undeniable courage.
"I have great respect for merchants like yourself," Frieren said. "Do you have anything interesting to offer?"
"I heartily recommend the Crafting Kit," he responded earnestly. "It enables you to craft various items."
Kalé displayed his wares one by one. Sensing an opportunity, Frieren immediately purchased the recommended kit, suspecting it was tied to a fundamental gameplay system. Characters encountered early in a journey often held profound, long-lasting significance. After setting aside items that were easily gathered or required minimal skill, she purchased as much of the remaining inventory as possible, aiming for a complete collection.
Following the transaction, Kalé's demeanor became even friendlier. The two chatted amiably, exchanging information about the Lands Between, which allowed Frieren to deepen her understanding:
The history of the Lands Between stretched back much further than she had initially thought. The Shattering war, which had overturned the existing order, took place thousands of years ago. Even further back lay the zenith of the Golden Order's reign, an era that had itself spanned a considerable period.
Before the Golden Order, there existed the Age of Ancient Dragons. The Dragonlord of that time could even be considered the true, original Elden Lord. Regrettably, after his god departed, his kind fell into decline, yielding dominion over the lands. The eras preceding even that were lost to recorded history...
"That's the extent of my knowledge," Kalé concluded, "and much of it is merely hearsay and speculation. True history must be recounted by those who actually lived through it."
With those words, Kalé stood and began to pack his belongings. A single successful transaction was sufficient; it was time for him to move on.
They waved farewell to each other.
Frieren opted to remain at the church and rest for a short while. The long day of travel and exertion had left her feeling weary – a touch of realism imparted by the game. Perhaps it was these tangible sensations, these moments of genuine feeling, that prevented her from becoming a completely detached and indifferent elf. Regarding the long-lived inhabitants of the Lands Between, they seemed to lack the pervasive, soul-crushing ennui so common in her own elf village. They should have been blessed, yet they suffered immensely due to the Elden Ring's shattering. Truly, every household has its own unspoken sorrows...
"Who's there?"
A sudden, unfamiliar presence caused the silver-haired girl to grip her staff tightly, instantly alert. An overwhelming wave of mana sense radiated outwards, instantaneously blanketing the entire Church of Elleh and scanning the surrounding kilometers, before finally converging on a figure perched atop the crumbling walls.
A doll-like girl? Four hands rested elegantly together. She possessed two faces – one of which was spectral, displaying far more vivid emotion, including a flicker of unconcealed surprise.
Ranni had never anticipated encountering such a formidable individual in a relatively weak region like Limgrave. As a fellow practitioner of magic, she fully grasped the significance of such potent mana sense – it practically guaranteed the advantage of striking first. Yet, worldly and experienced as she was, she composed herself in the very next moment.
"Tarnished," the spectral voice called out. "Approach. Might we speak for a moment?"
"Of course," Frieren replied. "I would be honored." The speaker's tone carried an air of noble solemnity, prompting Frieren to respond with equal courtesy.
It reinforced her earlier thought: characters encountered early on were often pivotal. This individual likely only appeared under the cover of night; meeting her now was a stroke of luck.
"I am the witch Renna," the figure stated. "I had heard whispers of a Tarnished of extraordinary talent, one who rides the spectral steed. It seems that is you. While your strength is indeed worthy of recognition, allow me to ask, simply to be certain: you can summon Torrent, can you not?"
"I can," Frieren confirmed simply.
There was no need for complex maneuvering. As a 'player' in this world, she didn't need to get bogged down in intricate plots or deceptions. If she were tricked, she could always fight her way back later; such setbacks wouldn't perturb the fundamental disposition of an elf in the slightest.
"Torrent's former master entrusted me with an important artifact," Renna continued, "which I must now pass on to you. It is called the Spirit Calling Bell. With it, you can summon spirits from ashes untethered to the Erdtree. If these spirits accept you, they will fight alongside you, surely becoming a great source of aid."
Frieren carefully accepted the small bell. It was exquisite in its craftsmanship, yet it pulsed with a profound, unfathomable magic. This was undoubtedly a key item; she had nearly missed out on a crucial gameplay mechanic.
"Thank you," Frieren said. "If I may ask, would you mind revealing who Torrent's former master was?"
"That, I cannot disclose," Renna replied. "If you prove to be a Tarnished worthy of claiming the title of Lord, you will learn the truth in due course. Knowing now would serve little purpose."
Despite her reserved words, Ranni had already formed her judgment. The Royal Capital, Leyndell, would soon tremble before the might of this new arrival.
"Mm," Frieren acknowledged.
She understood this type of cryptic speech perfectly. It was a riddle, wasn't it? Ultimately, the answers had to be sought out by herself. Or perhaps, no definitive answer truly existed, the truth having been easily swallowed by the turbulent currents of history.
________
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