Jagged Peak fell silent.
The wind ceased, the thunder subsided, and even the swirling dust dissipated somewhat, revealing the path they had taken more clearly.
When Frieren looked back, she could even see their footprints, a trail that wound around the mountain all the way to its base. Unconsciously, they had already traveled far from the Great Altar of Dragon Communion, and the magnificent view from the mountain's upper reaches unfolded before them.
But this wasn't the summit; the true peak currently belonged only to Bayle.
She looked to the northwest and saw layers of shadow, a hazy divine tower looming indistinctly, built upon the foundation of a 'Tower Town' and reaching a similarly exaggerated height.
The two highlands of the Land of Shadow faced each other. Between them stood an abrupt, solitary cylindrical tower, yet it emanated no strange aura.
Noticing Frieren's puzzled expression, Melina took the initiative to explain:
"That is known as the center of The Lands Between, from where one can overlook the Land of Shadow... If you consider the map's overlap, it's likely the very center guarded by the various Divine Towers."
"What?"
"I've outlined the location for you, right here—"
According to the direction she indicated, the intersecting central axes extending from the several Divine Towers converged precisely on that tall tower. In other words, the Land of Shadow was most likely located in a hollowed-out region in the middle of The Lands Between's continent.
Although the map of the snowfields above the Altus Plateau was unknown due to the long-severed lineage of knowledge, this was enough to reveal a corner of the truth.
The world presented itself in a previously undisclosed manner, though its deeper meaning was unknown.
What did it represent? No one knew.
Even the well-informed Melina shook her head; there was too little information, and the Divine Towers were actually quite ancient.
But Frieren wasn't discouraged. On the contrary, she was delighted; any novel discovery was an encouragement.
Getting to the bottom of things wasn't her style; witnessing it first was enough.
After the brief interlude of admiring the scenery, the group set off again.
With Torrent's consecutive double jumps, there were almost no obstacles they couldn't bypass.
The rubble they encountered along the way was also cleared one by one.
It was Frieren who acted, having requested that her two companions conserve their strength for now.
A typical squad would let its main powerhouse rest more, but for them, it was the opposite.
With nearly limitless magic and being the strongest of the group, Frieren had no need to conserve energy; she couldn't use it up even if she was wasteful. Melina and the Mimic Tear, who had fought alongside her constantly, had never seen her short on magic, so they were at ease leaving it to her.
Rumble!
Suddenly, a series of roars came from the path ahead as a round boulder came speeding down, bearing a striking resemblance to the stone spheres in the Magic Academy.
"An ambush. To think they'd resort to such a low-level trick."
As the Mimic Tear expressed its surprise, Frieren had already fired a Comet. Upon contact, it bored into the rock's surface.
The sphere then turned azure blue before shattering into fragments a moment later.
Even a common Glintstone Sorcery could undergo a qualitative change in the hands of a powerful sorcerer.
When dealing with obstacles, her magic emphasized both penetration and explosive power. Normally, one could only choose one, but she demanded both.
A Comet modified for this specific purpose was perfectly accurate against such an ambush, hitting its mark every time.
Torrent took the opportunity to dash forward and leap into the air, steadily closing the distance between them.
"On the slope!"
Following the direction Melina pointed, they saw a concave slope from which round boulders were continuously rolling down. It was clearly a well-planned setup; the volume, weight, and speed were all suitable.
Imagine if an army came to attack; this single chokepoint with its rolling logs and stones would be enough to give them a hard time. But before this small team, it was nothing.
Having spotted the attack's origin, they didn't even need Frieren to act; the spirit steed simply leaped to evade.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, a spear of red lightning shot forth, aiming a fatal blow at the group in mid-air.
The moment they noticed it, the expressions on Melina and the Mimic Tear's faces changed drastically. This was bad. They hadn't detected it at all. A direct hit from Dragonbolt would likely leave them severely wounded.
Ash of War: Thops's Barrier!
But the silver-haired girl, as if prescient, parried the incantation back along its original path. The red lightning shot back and exploded with a bang.
A white shadow of an Ancient Dragon flickered past, easily dodging the returned attack before concealing itself once more in the deep mountains.
Before leaving, it didn't forget to send an even larger boulder rolling down.
"This is no way to continue. Since the wind has stopped, let's take a small risk."
Before her two companions could recover from the sudden Dragonbolt attack, Frieren pointed her staff, and a bridge of ice crystals formed in mid-air.
It curved, easily bypassing the pass covered by the giant boulder, and formed a slide leading further upwards.
She didn't make the structure too large, needing to prioritize suddenness and speed, otherwise it would certainly be shot down.
Understanding her intent, Torrent immediately galloped up the ice crystal path, climbing higher and higher.
An ordinary horse couldn't possibly run at full speed on such a smooth surface, but it could. The legendary steed of The Lands Between crossed the mountain chasm at great speed as if on level ground.
"It's that one—"
The enraged Mimic Tear pointed at an Ancient Dragon behind a mountaintop. Its long, snake-like neck rested on the rocks, its four limbs clinging tightly to the steep cliff, making it difficult to distinguish as it blended into the environment.
For an Ancient Dragon, it was quite unscrupulous. This was Senessax, but it should not be underestimated for that reason.
To be considered a threat by Lansseax, it had to be an ancient dragon of many years, a champion among its kind. Otherwise, Bayle wouldn't have even given it the time of day.
It didn't rush to attack, but observed silently. Since that was the case, Frieren, busy on her path, also held back.
They scrutinized each other, carefully sensing one another's magical power.
Very strong.
The feeling it gave her was more condensed than that of a typical Demigod. Compared to Lansseax, whom she had fought before, it was slightly inferior but still a major threat.
Moreover, she had yet to engage in a life-or-death battle with an Ancient Dragon, so the outcome was uncertain, and the intelligence was not on her side.
Little did she know that Senessax's heart was pounding even harder with unease.
So this was the quasi-monarch who had rushed over immediately after sanctioning the Lord of Frenzied Flame? It knew the news from The Lands Between that had spread to the Land of Shadow. Her reputation was well-deserved; she was a formidable enemy.
To endure humiliation is my creed, but I will never retreat—
When the spirit steed, known to every powerhouse in The Lands Between, landed steadily on a patch of open ground, Senessax let out a high-pitched roar and took flight.
Its massive, white, rock-like body slammed down before them, shaking the earth and sending boulders tumbling.
"They call you the Lord of Cinder?"
"That's me."
After replying, Frieren gave a whistle to recall Torrent's spirit, which obediently returned to the ring.
At the same time, the Mimic Tear manifested in its complete form, staff at the ready, its entire body shimmering with the light of Night Sorcery. On the other side, Melina also stood prepared, golden magic flowing across the surface of her dagger.
She turned back and proposed, "Let us handle it. You go find Bayle."
"I'd like to stretch my legs a bit too," the white-haired maiden said, eager for a fight.
The previous battle with the Lord of Frenzied Flame had been far from satisfying.
"Are you two acting as if I don't exist?"
Senessax's scales bristled with lightning, and its frame expanded by a size, its form growing even more terrifying.
Even with the pride of one who had tamed many Ancient Dragons, it would not back down.
"As expected of an Ancient Dragon who gets along with the mad one. Now I understand why he accepted you."
At Frieren's words, Senessax smiled, clearly pleased.
"I'll accept your compliment. By the way, why have you come specifically for Lord Bayle, and how do you seem to know things about us? Could it be intelligence from the sky city?"
"There's no harm in showing you."
The silver-haired girl presented the letter, and a single glance was all it took for the dragon to understand the situation.
"How utterly ridiculous. To think they'd commission an outsider to solve their problems. Thousands of years have passed, yet has the Ancient Dragon clan not produced a single new powerhouse with any spirit? They have no future."
Senessax was filled with resentment, hating them for their lack of promise.
Now, Frieren was completely certain: the Ancient Dragons with peculiar tempers were, in fact, stronger. Take Gransax, for example.
Any ordinary person would think charging the walls of Leyndell was suicide. But the largest Ancient Dragon in history insisted on doing so, even at the cost of its life.
That is why the name of the great Ancient Dragon still resounds throughout The Lands Between, while common Ancient Dragons remain obscure. Power and physique are not always directly correlated.
Will is crucial.
The courage, will, and conviction possessed by the strong who stand at the pinnacle are unimaginable to the mediocre. To judge strength based on whether one is whole or flawed is a lesser approach; it is the mind that allows one to reach the zenith.
Yet, most Ancient Dragons lack this. The long passage of years has, instead, caused them to lose their will to fight.
It was no wonder Senessax looked down on them and chose the path represented by the mad dragon.
Frieren touched her long, pointed ear and murmured, "My race's situation is a bit like you Ancient Dragons. However, betrayal is betrayal, and I won't allow it either."
"Let victory decide."
"There's no need to fight it. Leave it to us."
Melina gave her a look, and she graciously nodded.
The priority was dealing with the mad dragon, Bayle.
Having been ignored, Senessax snorted and glared.
Fine threads of red lightning rose from its spine, gathering at its horns to protect its head while simultaneously strengthening its entire body as it charged up with a deafening roar.
The next moment, a torrent of dragonflame erupted, instantly blanketing the entire open area. The ground flowed like magma, sputtering with bubbling flames.
"So hot!"
Even the Mimic Tear, for a rare moment, hurriedly teleported to evade, countering with ice crystals at the same time.
Hailing from the cold and dark Eternal Dynasty, she was not accustomed to Jagged Peak, especially with an enemy who excelled in fire and lightning. This Ancient Dragon was on a completely different level from common drakes; she had to be careful.
Having the experience of fighting Lansseax, Melina was much calmer, blocking the aftershock with a golden shield.
Frieren, however, dodged with a light leap.
Her effortless movement slightly startled Senessax. 'Such precise evasion,' it thought, rendering the hottest part of the flames useless.
Is she looking for a chance to leave? The lack of fighting intent meant her mind wasn't here.
Having one less quasi-monarch powerhouse to deal with would be to its advantage, making it easy to finish off the remaining two.
But a sense of unwillingness gnawed at it, its anger flaring. How could it know the difference in their strength without a clash? Ancient Dragons were no cowards, especially not one like itself, different from those in the sky city.
With this thought, Senessax dashed forward, charging at Frieren with the speed of lightning.
Thud!
However, almost simultaneously, a massive Haima's Gavel smashed down at its feet. The precise, long-range strike from the Mimic Tear threw its movement off balance.
And it wasn't over.
A brilliant golden energy met its charge head-on—it was the Golden Order Incantation: Rejection! In Melina's hands, the simple incantation displayed immense impact, halting even the Ancient Dragon's fierce momentum.
"Since when did The Lands Between possess such pure power of faith!"
Flustered, Senessax beat its wings and took a large step back, wary of another troublesome incantation.
Something was wrong. Why did such an exaggerated level of faith exist? It relied almost entirely on the caster's own skill with incantations.
Therefore, it could no longer judge by the standards of ordinary incantation strength; its opponent could turn the mundane into the miraculous.
"It seems you are quite special, maiden of the quasi-monarch."
"Of course! The maiden is surely the strongest incantation caster in The Lands Between." The Mimic Tear taunted with a smile, "Your dragonflame is still a bit lacking."
At some point, the white-haired maiden had become surrounded by the buffs of Golden Order incantations.
The two worked together seamlessly. This was no place for a one-on-one duel; covering each other increased their margin for error.
They didn't want Frieren to be distracted by their side of the fight. Although an adult Ancient Dragon was difficult to handle, a group battle was another matter entirely.
A bit more cautious, Senessax glanced at the three of them, then reached out and grabbed a nearby hill.
With a loud crash, it was smashed to pieces, the falling rocks blocking the mountain pass. At the same time, a great storm of lightning raged, as heaven and earth roared, unleashing disaster.
Its meaning was simple and direct: don't think you can get past so easily. Otherwise, where would its pride as an Ancient Dragon be?
Who cares how many opponents there were, or how strong? The moment it hesitated, the moment its spirit wavered, it would have truly lost. Now, for the first time in a long while, it was getting serious.
Whoosh!
Senessax's rocky skin seemed to pulse, steam rising as it was tempered by lightning and fire. Its magic was fully unleashed.
A Dragonclaw descended, trailing fine, cutting lines.
Meeting the sharp attack was a Ring of Light incantation, as golden and red magic collided.
The Ancient Dragon's absolute power was superior, and the moment it pushed back, its massive body advanced with it.
Again, the Dragonclaw, its target Frieren—
CRACK!
It was stunned to find the silver-haired girl had firmly blocked its sharp claws with the Dark Moon Greatsword.
No, a terrifying counterforce was coming back at it. The instantaneous surge in strength forced Senessax to take a half-step back in confusion.
How was this possible?
Shard Spiral followed in rapid succession.
A rattling sound echoed from the weak points in its scales. Even its enormous body trembled.
It glanced at the distant Mimic Tear and muttered; such precise skill, using glintstone to grind away at the joints between its scales. A clumsy method, but somewhat effective.
The key was the sufficient infusion of magic...
It had almost forgotten, there was still a god of plague before it.
Moonlight Wave.
The legendary weapon of the Carian Royal Family, coupled with the power of high-level enhancements, slammed into its chest.
It was a dual poise break from both the weapon skill and the blade itself.
For every step the Ancient Dragon took back, Frieren advanced one.
With her strength alone, she was actually pushing the enemy towards the mountain pass, a roar sounding in her ears:
"Such an arrogant idea! Do you take me for—"
Senessax planted its two front claws against the Dark Moon Greatsword and dug its hind legs into the ground, bracing with all its might.
Even a fortress gate would have been easily pushed over and turned to dust by it.
But the enemy's charge didn't slow in the slightest; instead, the mark of the Blessing of the Erdtree lit up.
"It's that maiden!"
With no time to think, its back crashed into the pile of rocks. The very obstacle it had used to block its opponent was now being used against it.
It wasn't just the pain, but the humiliation, that sent it into an uncontrollable rage. It opened its great maw, a terrible killing intent brewing within.
The first Dragonbolt Breath of the battle was ready.
_____
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