Beside a narrow tree hollow in the Haligtree Town.
Intermittently using Unseen Form to turn her body invisible, Frieren came and went as she pleased. After grabbing the Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone, she could still continue exploring right under their noses.
After some jumping and scurrying exploration, the group bypassed yet another batch of guards.
Trina knew the routine patrol routes by heart, providing reminders to avoid them throughout the journey. The other major reliance was naturally the skills of the strongest mage in The Lands Between; with her present, they basically skirted around numerous routes inside the buildings, eliminating a heap of risks.
Gravity Well.
Under the traction of exquisite magic, Frieren jumped onto another tree trunk, while Melina beside her had been marking the map the entire time.
She said excitedly, "The patrol intensity is lower than we imagined; we can handle it for now."
"It is likely they haven't recovered from the Spiral Tower campaign," Ranni guessed.
Along the way, the squad saw more than one wounded soldier. These were not injuries from Hollowing or Scarlet Rot, but wounds left not long ago. There was only one possibility: the Land of Shadow. They had gone for wool and came home shorn.
The Haligtree army was still paying the price for that failure.
Everyone was knowledgeable and knew well what the spirit and morale of a qualified elite army should look like. Based on their current performance, they could not be counted among the top armed forces of The Lands Between.
Trina said regretfully, "It is a pity. Their strength remains, but as an army, they lack morale."
On the stage of comparing organization, discipline, and morale, they were unqualified. Even the current Soul of Cinder Army was born from the Southern Army of the past, was it not? They had already washed away the title of weakness and ascended to the ranks of the top tier in The Lands Between.
In a sense, anyone who could make it to the finals circle now was an elite soldier or a fierce general.
The second-rate had all been eliminated.
The Haligtree army in this state already had one foot out of the finals circle; they were irrelevant to the final battle for the throne.
"Unless they can be integrated and twisted back into a single rope."
Frieren's words caused the three to pause slightly. Did Her Majesty mean to incorporate the Haligtree army? But it was well known that their composition was complex and they had been their own faction for many years.
"In short, I hope you can stabilize the situation at the Haligtree in the future, Trina. Can you do it?"
"I will do my best."
"Since I promised Latenna to settle the Albinaurics, the Haligtree remains a good place. Consider it part of the new dynasty's new policies. Rather than establishing another place like the Village of the Albinaurics, it is better to find a pure land overseas."
"If I can survive, I will certainly implement Your Majesty's proposal."
"What are you saying? You will survive." Frieren gave a reassuring smile before continuing on the road.
Her meaning was very clear: the Haligtree would need a spokesperson in the future. They couldn't destroy this place and waste a paradise in vain, and Trina was a suitable candidate—more suitable than Miquella.
The three couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
If things truly developed this way, the structure of the future new dynasty would have to be recalculated.
After leaving that decision, Frieren focused solely on continuing the treasure hunt, leaving the specific implications for her subordinates to worry about.
Soon, she picked up a new Spirit Ash candidate on the treetops: [Oracle Envoy Ashes]. It had been a long time; this was a type that summoned multiple units at once.
[Ashen remains in which spirits yet dwell.]
[Use to summon the spirits of four Oracle Envoys.]
[Spirits of a monstrous band of musicians who employ sacred arts.]
[It is said that when Oracle Envoys appear, playing their pipes, they do so to herald the arrival of a new god, or a new age.]
She had seen plenty of similar enemies in both the Haligtree and the Royal Capital, so they were not unfamiliar to her. As long as they could be used for the Ash Army, it was fine. A full four units; combined with her specific research on strengthening power, it would be enough.
No testing for now.
Summoning Oracle Envoys at this time would simply be exposing themselves. Never mind, entering the interior of the Haligtree was the priority.
Concentrating her attention, Frieren continued searching, finding Talismans, Smithing Stones, and the like one after another. However, she observed mainly from the periphery, because the troop strength in the inner circle of the Haligtree was gradually increasing.
"Have we been exposed?" Melina asked in disbelief.
"Not necessarily. It is likely Loretta actively increasing defenses." Ranni sighed, "She is an excellent knight and very vigilant."
"Trina, is there a recommended route?"
"Yes, we can enter the interior through the Prayer Room area, but it is very dangerous..."
"Dangerous?"
"A powerful Putrid Avatar is active there. It is a divine existence capable of destroying a fortress castle, kept in the Haligtree all along. It can be called a trump card. It just cannot be deployed easily, but it is very useful in defense. Moreover, the Haligtree's Putrid Avatar is on a bridge; it is inconvenient to fight and easy to be seen. But its perception is keen, and bypassing it is also very difficult..."
"I understand. Then we will kill it quickly and decisively."
Frieren had always been the type to actively seek out strong enemies. After all, powerful meant better rewards; it was not to be missed.
Since that was the case, Trina had no choice but to point the way.
Ranni said, "I will set up a masking barrier to minimize the noise transmitted out, but you must control the force of your combat. Don't cause too much destruction. Once we handle this, we can enter the Haligtree's interior."
The silver-haired girl nodded, then leaped up, advancing rapidly with a body as light as a swallow.
The equally agile Melina followed closely behind. If there was an enemy that needed to be killed quickly, Destined Death could be activated at any moment.
The squad infiltrated rapidly.
Under Trina's precise navigation, they indeed found a great bridge connecting the inner and outer walls of the Haligtree. Below was the surging seawater, the sound of waves crashing against the shore audible.
Falling into the sea from such a height would undoubtedly mean death. It was indeed troublesome.
It was already a place where one man could hold the pass against ten thousand, yet a Putrid Avatar just had to be wandering there.
The massive figure shuffled back and forth on the bridge, patrolling repeatedly. It gestured with a giant staff from time to time, appearing to be searching for a target. It had been stationed here for years, tireless, forever alert, the power accumulating within its body growing stronger day by day.
"That is the Putrid Avatar."
As Trina gave the hint, Ranni had already laid down the masking barrier.
"Fortunately, the Haligtree army has gathered in the inner circle. We will defeat it here as quickly as possible, then follow the tree trunk to the inner wall."
Before her voice had faded, Frieren flew down, landing directly in front of the tree-like monster. The latter was stunned.
It hadn't expected the Haligtree intruder to be so arrogant. The undisguised fighting spirit, hostility, and pressure would excite any opponent. That's right, it was waiting for a battle like this; everything was just right.
Whoosh!
Merely waving the giant staff in its hand whipped up a gale as it assumed a stance. Everything was in place.
Both sides understood that this battle could not be dragged out; it had to be fast.
The Putrid Avatar swung its staff like a thunderbolt, smashing into the ground with a boom and gouging out a large crater. It was unstoppable, dust rising everywhere, the shockwave enough to overturn heavy cavalry.
Unexpectedly, Frieren stepped on the staff and leaped with a lunge. A flame spear condensed on the staff in her hand, piercing through the air to hit instantly.
Crack!
The fierce blaze caught it off guard, igniting a large patch of branches. Immediately after, it actively withered and snapped them off, cutting away the burning parts. The resolve to sever its own limb prevented the Putrid Avatar from falling into a suppressed rhythm, and it immediately swept its staff horizontally.
Ping! A crisp sound!
The Dark Moon Greatsword actually blocked the attack of the giant staff in a head-on confrontation.
Amidst flying sparks, the Prince of Death's Staff swung out a Chaos Fire spear. This time, it pierced the Putrid Avatar's trunk. The super-high temperature heatwave instantly chiseled open a gap, causing it to shriek and roar.
Logically speaking, it couldn't feel pain, but the special Chaos Fire was also effective against the soul, possessing extreme lethality.
Enduring the pain, the Putrid Avatar held the Golden Totem high. While protecting itself with brilliant light, it shot out several streams of Holy Light meteors.
It actually knew this Incantation!
Frieren remained calm in the face of danger and opened Thops's Barrier.
The aggressive assault hit it and dissipated or rebounded one after another, causing not a trace of damage. An impregnable wall stood before the silver-haired girl, insurmountable and solid as gold soup. Coupled with her exquisite technique intercepting every attack so far, she remained light as the wind and calm as the clouds.
On the other hand, after being hit by the fire, the Putrid Avatar had to continuously peel off its branches. With cracking sounds of snapping wood, they fell from the bridge and rolled into the ocean waves, disappearing without a trace.
If this dragged on, it would undoubtedly die.
Having guarded the Haligtree for many years, it hadn't expected the first test it encountered to be so severe.
With this thought, it continuously bolstered itself with the power of Gold, its body conversely emitting a glittering golden feeling.
Pest Threads!
Frieren used a move meant for large targets. Countless white streamlines sped forth. The first wave hitting the Putrid Avatar didn't cause much commotion, but the advantage lay in the endless stream of killing intent that followed closely behind.
Sure enough, the Putrid Avatar retreated again and again, its figure hunched.
It used the staff to prop itself up on the ground to maintain balance and avoid being knocked down, but it also nearly fell off. It was thrillingly dangerous. Seeing that it couldn't win in a frontal confrontation, it simply went all out.
The massive tree monster rolled and pressed over.
"It is actively destroying the bridge!" Ranni reminded loudly. "If the damage is too severe, we will definitely be exposed."
Before her voice faded, Frieren had already made her move. One Dark Moon Greatsword, one Carian Slicer—dual-wielding, she fiercely pierced the Putrid Avatar.
It wasn't over yet.
Her figure shuttled back and forth repeatedly, cutting. Afterimages enveloped the massive target.
Crisscrossing, sword light brilliant.
Mixed within was magma fire, covering the target even more intensely than Rykard's flames. Controlling the force so as not to cause an explosion, she interspersed it all within the storm of swords to grind away the enemy. Domineering yet magnificent, her technique had reached the peak of perfection.
Like a sculptor carefully carving stone material, or a gardener pruning branches, the Putrid Avatar shrank at a speed visible to the naked eye.
It was forcibly cut down by Frieren to half its original volume.
The excess branches didn't even fall into the sea; instead, they were incinerated by the flames into a wisp of green smoke, leaving no trace.
So fast!
By the time the Putrid Avatar reacted, it was already too late. In the next moment, a Moonlight Wave struck its broken trunk, causing it to kneel on the spot. Immediately after, the silver-haired girl held the greatsword and delivered a full-force critical hit execution.
It fell, but unwilling to give up, it immediately crawled up, golden light lingering around its body.
Erdtree Slam!
It released the full-power Weapon Skill reserved until this moment.
However, as soon as it made the move, the Putrid Avatar discovered a powerful gravity magic resisting, and even conversely suppressing it. Not good; it was a prepared Gravity Well.
It could only watch helplessly as Frieren charged a Lightning Spear. Crack! It pierced the trunk, tearing apart limbs, disintegrating instantly.
Amidst the muffled boom, the giant tree collapsed, attempting to struggle but swallowed by Chaos Fire.
For safety's sake, there was also a covering of Messmer's Fire.
From beginning to end, Frieren didn't make any unnecessary noise, displaying a kill under absolute suppression—relaxed and free.
The three watching the whole process were already shocked to numbness. They had thought she would win quickly, but they hadn't thought it would be this simple. The absolute disparity in strength created a lopsided result, and it was fought magnificently, efficiently, moving like floating clouds and flowing water.
[Rotten Staff]
[Greatstaff of ancient, radiant tree ritual.]
[A weapon eroded by Scarlet Rot.]
[Wielded by avatars who protect the Minor Erdtrees.]
It was too massive. The cumbersome volume meant Frieren couldn't use it. If one had to mention a special feature, it was probably that it could build up Scarlet Rot.
However, she had come this time to incidentally exterminate the Outer God of Rot. In the final decisive battle, she couldn't leave a potential strong enemy skilled in large-scale army attacks. From then on, there would be no more Scarlet Rot in The Lands Between, just as there was no more Formless Mother.
The power of the relevant Incantation system would naturally decline, so the buildup of Scarlet Rot was already irrelevant.
She even had a thought:
Could she establish a new Incantation system in The Lands Between herself? Including the numerous abilities she had acquired so far? However, that would require long-term academic deduction.
[Unique Skill: Golden Slam]
[Skill executed by performing a light forward jump and slamming the ground with one's buttocks to generate a golden shockwave.]
[Among all the skills of the slam variety, this one is the most powerful.]
Not only was it powerful as recognized in the description, but Frieren had also witnessed it just now. If the Putrid Avatar had actually unleashed it, eighty percent chance it would have collapsed the bridge and alerted the entire Haligtree.
So she made a prompt decision to intercept and stop it, only seeing half of the slam.
A pity.
Since she didn't see the full version, she wouldn't use it in the future either. After all, "slamming the ground with one's buttocks to generate a shockwave" was too strange.
After putting away the weapon, Frieren thought no more of it, instead focusing on the path leading to the Haligtree's interior.
It was already unobstructed. No need to worry about being discovered by the Putrid Tree; they could infiltrate smoothly.
Trina reminded, "Usually everyone avoids the Putrid Avatar, so they should discover its disappearance a bit late, but we still need to act quickly."
"Of course. We are going to the Prayer Room you mentioned right now."
Frieren took Melina's hand, then jumped lightly, going vertically upward under gravity's traction.
"Who is it?"
As a result, as soon as they arrived, they discovered two patrolling Haligtree Knights. While surprised, they thrust out their long spears—worthy of the reaction speed of an elite army. But they were not faster than the silver-haired girl's Carian Slicer. With a flash of cold light, they were killed instantly.
Immediately, she erased the traces and strengthened the invisibility measures.
"My perception has detected many patrols. Even with stealth, we cannot maintain it for too long. Be ready for battle at any time."
Hearing Frieren's judgment, everyone instantly concentrated their attention, daring not to relax.
Once the battle started, it would be facing the entire Haligtree.
The best outcome was to fulfill the tactic: reach the deep rooms of the Haligtree as soon as possible and begin the decapitation operation.
The Soul Cinder King would face the Twins, while Melina and Ranni would use the terrain advantage to resist the army to avoid interference.
It was just that their troop strength was greater than imagined; the initially planned tactic was full of variables.
____
New Story: Stardew Valley: What Do You Mean They All Became My Servants
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