After a flurry of punches and kicks, the Priest of Blood, who never got a chance to make a flashy attack in front of Frieren, lay dying, his life force ebbing away.
How could he alone withstand the high-level reinforced spirits? Especially with the soul-enhancing effect of the godslayer-level Death Prince's Staff, the spirits were even stronger. In a surprise attack, the initial assault had felled the powerful enemy.
Unsurprisingly, behind the wall of bodies, the duo only saw the newly dropped talisman:
[Joy of the Lord of Blood]
[A talisman crafted in the likeness of the Lord of Blood's joy]
[Boosts attack power when nearby characters are afflicted with an abnormal bleeding state]
[Offer blood to the Lord of Blood—]
[Let the adult companion's chamber, let the cocoon be filled with blood]
[When the young companion awakens, our dynasty shall be born]
The long-dead Mohg had left behind a treasure, which ultimately fell into Frieren's hands. This karmic bond spanned ages, stretching to the present, and now the so-called dynasty was nothing but a joke. He was finished.
But his talisman was indeed excellent, clearly crucial for building up bleeding damage. Upon reviewing the messages, as expected, they were filled with praise like 'essential for bleed builds,' 'hidden too deep, winding paths,' 'dual curved sword jump slash complete,' definitely valuable.
'By the Royal Capital stage, most were completing their builds. For example, Frieren, in a sense, had just finished her high-tier mage build, basically complete, with only numerical optimization left. She had many bleeding weapons, and the talisman was useful, especially paired with Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear.'
'Collected.'
Melina murmured, "It seems Mohg's forces were guarding the seal in the sewers. These two hidden brothers thwarted the Leyndell siege. We must also be cautious of variables and not make the same mistakes as the King's Alliance."
"We must assume there are stronger hidden enemies, or we'll be hindered by unexpected situations," she added.
Frieren nodded in response. "I will. I'm prepared."
'She didn't need to guess to know that a boss rush would be waiting for her. Each stronger than the last, even including creatures from ancient myths. So what? They were the ones being fought, and the outcome wouldn't change.'
Everyone felt that the Soul of Cinder Incarnation had gambled all its resources thus far, but little did they know, Frieren had gambled everything. Her hope of resolving her body's hidden issues, the hopes of other worlds—victory was her only option.
Suddenly, the silver-haired girl raised an eyebrow, looking in one direction. "There's a familiar face," she remarked.
"Here? In the Royal Capital sewers?" Melina couldn't believe it, but Frieren's perception was never wrong, so she followed her steps.
Soon, the two passed through the underground avenue, and the spirit army beside them cleared the Omen children. It was a good deed, helping Leyndell solve the monsters, and of course, to prevent them from being used in the siege.
Before even seeing the person, they heard a series of impacts. Turning the corner, they encountered the ugly Dung Eater.
He hadn't met Melina before, but she had heard about him from Frieren. True to his name, this bloated, tumor-like armor was indeed hideous. In the filthy Royal Capital sewers, the Dung Eater was the foulest.
"...Let me out, let me out of here, I want to eat, I want to defile... I want to kill, I want to curse you..."
'The usual misanthropy,' Frieren thought.
"How did you end up in the Royal Capital sewers? How are you? Is there anything I can help with?" Frieren's polite question received no response.
Helpless, she had to look for clues in the messages. 'It was better not to look,' she mused, 'but once I did, I realized that his appearance here represented a change in the Dung Eater's side quest. It should be the series of disturbances in the Altus Plateau that brought him to the sewers.'
The messages mentioned 'Curse of the Cradle,' which was indeed in her bag, from Volcano Manor, automatically picked up without careful examination. She slowly took out the curse.
As a result, the grotesque figure suddenly turned his head, staring fixedly at the curse in the silver-haired girl's hand, actually drooling.
"Yes, that's what I want, to cast a curse. Let descendants be cursed forever, defile everything... I will create a curse-repairing Rune, making The Lands Between fall into eternal curse..." He feverishly stepped forward to snatch it, but Frieren dodged.
"You'd better give up on that idea. If you're willing to cure the curse, I'll help for a reward. But if you persist in trying to destroy The Lands Between, I won't be polite," Frieren stated firmly. In fact, she was being quite lenient.
Beside her, Melina had already drawn her knife.
"Dream on," Melina scoffed. The Dung Eater took a step forward, but was pinned to the wall by the knives, swords, halberds, and spears of the many spirits, unable to move, powerless to resist. The two sides were worlds apart in both numbers and strength.
Melina curiously asked, "Frieren, could he really create a curse-repairing Rune?"
"Yes. That would be an era... where everyone is cursed," Frieren replied, embellishing the spoilers from the messages a bit. Even she, who had seen much, didn't want to describe that era. It was hard to imagine making everyone behave like the Dung Eater, more disgusting than the Frenzied Flame.
She gradually grew impatient. The Dung Eater, completely unaware that his death was near, continued to repeat the curse words, furious.
"If he's so dangerous, why keep him around? We can accept the worst Rune repair being the Deathborn, but the other dregs should be eliminated," Melina suggested.
"You're right. Let this guy shout, and he might attract people," Frieren agreed. She took out a Fingerprint Knight Straight Sword and poked it into the Dung Eater's heart, killing him instantly.
Not only that, the purifying power of the First Flame flowed along the blade, burning him to ashes in an instant. Only a charred human-shaped outline remained on the wall, with no other traces of existence. He was still loudly cursing everything at the moment of death, only now quiet.
'Clean and tidy,' Frieren thought. 'It was true that they needed to collect Runes for repair, but such things were outside Frieren's acceptable range. They shouldn't exist at all. Once created, they were dangerous, so it was better to nip it in the bud. She and The Lands Between had no grudge, so there was no need.'
However, there was one thing Frieren didn't burn: the Dung Eater's weapon.
[Meltos's Sword]
[A greatsword crafted from the spine of a giant, imbued with an ominous aura]
[Its blade bore spikes on both sides, sharpened thin and fine, resembling an asymmetrical sawtooth knife, capable of inflicting grievous wounds upon foes]
[Among giants, Meltos was small in stature]
[It was said that he was exceptionally hideous and defiled]
Frieren immediately tried the new weapon; the feel was decent. The special thing was that killing enemies could replenish magic, which was indeed useful for mages. This effect likely stemmed from a special weapon skill.
Replenishing magic should be coordinated with restoring health. In this regard, Meltos's Sword was special, so Frieren endured her dislike for the original owner and carefully read the weapon skill description:
[Exclusive Weapon Skill: Meltos's Howl]
[Emits a terrifying, cursed howl, reducing the damage resistance of all attributes and the resistance to all abnormal states for surrounding enemies]
[While the weapon skill is active, heavy attacks become combo attacks]
'It could be used,' Frieren mused. 'Restoring magic could be useful for me, but as a main weapon, it's better not to.'
The Dung Eater's death wasn't even a minor episode. From beginning to end, their focus was on the path to the surface.
"...I feel the airflow, and some faint footsteps. We're not far from the surface," Melina solemnly warned.
"This way," Frieren directed.
"Don't rush later. We're just here to investigate, not to fight," Melina cautioned.
"Rest assured, I've already found the way," Frieren replied. She not only kept her perception fully open but also kept looking at the message prompts. Now she had to be 120% vigilant.
Above her head was the heavily guarded Leyndell, Royal Capital, the strongest army garrison.
She led the way, and together with Melina, they stepped onto the diagonally upward staircase, with golden light gradually shining on their faces.
What came into view was a magnificent city with golden roofs. Each building was exceptionally tall, as if for giants to live in, possessing a majestic presence, grand and magnificent, organically blending aesthetics and countless wonders, awe-inspiring.
'Deserving of being the Royal Capital,' Frieren thought.
People often felt awe or even megalophobia towards the grandeur of nature, but the Golden Royal Capital achieved this through extreme architectural artistry. Prosperous, beautiful, dignified, and luxurious, any adjective could be applied to Leyndell.
No wonder in people's minds, "only those who possess the Royal Capital can be king" was not only an objective resource but also held great symbolic meaning. This prosperity and splendor made people sincerely convinced.
It had more than just beauty. The rocky remains of the Ancient Dragon lay on the buildings, still lifelike even after thousands of years, with a frozen posture still dignified. Being able to conquer such a massive creature and leave it forever was a testament to abundant martial virtue.
The beautiful tableau of Leyndell, Royal Capital, unfolded before Frieren's eyes. Unlike the southern revival, it seemed to have never declined, standing alone in the world, at least not too seriously damaged.
'Very fortunate,' she mused. The royal cities she had seen before were either false or battered by storms. Finally, she saw a truly prosperous one.
The two looked at each other, seeing mutual shock. Coincidentally, neither had seen a 'peak' royal city, so without comparison, there was no flaw. They felt that this royal city was the true symbol of glory, the pinnacle of civilization in The Lands Between.
'Who wouldn't want to conquer this wealthy city?' Frieren thought, resting her chin in her hand, falling into deeper contemplation. 'It's a pity that disaster will follow.' It was grand, but the city walls were also troublesome. To break in, they would definitely have to break some jars.
"You calm down. We can't start a war now. Keep hidden," Melina admonished.
"Rest assured, I've been using Invisibility," Frieren replied.
"About enough, when do you plan to leave?" Melina asked. Although she was also very emotional, Melina knew that this place was not suitable for a long stay.
"Go to the top of the golden spear next to Guran Sanks. There's a legendary weapon up there, and we can overlook the Royal Capital. Leave the other collectibles for now. Once we get it, we'll retreat," Frieren explained.
Hearing this, Melina worriedly looked at the top of the Ancient Dragon's remains. 'Wouldn't it be too conspicuous?' she wondered. She could only listen to the king.
Only Frieren dared to sneak into the Royal Capital and then look for a conspicuous place to get a weapon. She couldn't stop her. Watching her make up her mind, Melina could only follow.
The two carefully maintained Invisibility, took the rooftop route, and tried to avoid the many knights on the ground as much as possible.
Leyndell's forces were indeed more numerous than imagined. Without exception, they were fully armed, with strong Rune reactions, battle-hardened. Whether in physique, skills, or equipment, they were flawless, the strongest in The Lands Between. In addition to knights, there were also Oracular Envoys, Perfumers, and others assisting from the side. Various troops coordinated, and in terms of organization, experience, and discipline, they were no lower than the Soul of Cinder Incarnation's army.
Along the way, Melina carefully noted each patrol team, silently adding information such as approximate formation and equipment. Since they were here, they might as well conduct a preliminary investigation to gather intelligence.
A short time later, the two successfully reached Guran Sanks' back. From here on, it was an unobstructed, wide area.
Even the usually calm Melina couldn't help but look left and right, worried about exposure. Frieren, on the other hand, remained relaxed. "Many people don't look up. We're actually safer now," she said.
As Frieren said, thanks to the Ancient Dragon's cover, they could barely feel the gazes of the Leyndell knights looking around. Maybe they had a slight feeling but couldn't find the target. The king had shown stealth skills once in the Shadow Keep, but that wasn't the limit.
At this moment, the silver-haired girl leaped onto the huge golden spear, picking up a similar weapon and weighing it. The feel was good; it was indeed a weapon of the Ancient Dragon.
[Guran Sanks' Lightning]
[A spear carved from the weapon of the 'Ancient Dragon' Guran Sanks]
[One of the legendary weapons]
[When the Ancient Dragon attacked, the walls of Leyndell were breached—]
[This occurred only once in history and served as the catalyst for subsequent wars between the many Ancient Dragons]
The seemingly concise narrative behind it was a grand history, symbolizing the transition of hegemony in The Lands Between from the Ancient Dragon clan to the Golden Dynasty. A single war dominated a rise and fall. Even the fallen Ancient Dragon's posture was still upright and would continue to stand upright. In a sense, it and the Royal Capital had mutually achieved each other.
Frieren carefully savored the mottled traces and the still strongly resonant magic.
[Exclusive Weapon Skill: Ancient Lightning Spear]
[Wraps red lightning around the Ancient Dragon's weapon, then transforms the lightning into a spear and hurls it forth]
[Can be charged to enhance its power]
'Itchy hands,' Frieren thought. She, of course, knew that experimenting now was inappropriate, so under Melina's threatening gaze, she slowly put away the weapon and turned her head. "All packed up, we can go back," she said.
Before she could finish, the bell rang, the horn sounded, and the entire Royal Capital suddenly became noisy.
"Could we have been discovered!" Melina's entire body tensed.
"No, it's a good time," Frieren stated. From Guran Sanks' spear, they could easily overlook the main gate of the Royal Capital.
The honor guard was neat and uniform, with gongs and drums, petals flying, and banners covering the sky.
A white-haired man with a lion on his shoulder walked in with large strides, and everyone was convinced, cheering in unison: "Welcome back, Your Majesty, the First Lord!"
Godfrey didn't respond, but instead cast his sharp gaze in their direction. In an instant, Melina felt the pressure descending, and at the same time, Frieren also canceled her Invisibility, their eyes meeting.
Naturally, the welcoming royal army also looked in the direction of the gaze. All was silent.
_____
New Story: FGO: Building a Lostbelt from Scratch, the Winner is Canon
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