Frilian at Elden Ring

"That's strange, if I may be frank, how can one use runes to enhance their abilities without their own witch? Or how can they reach the Hall of the Round Table in the future?"

"My original witch did indeed pass away, but a replacement witch has taken her place."

Melina frowned upon hearing this.

……

PS

Fortunately, I completed the DLC before the thorns of refusal were weakened.

Chapter 21 Melina's Worries

The mission of the Fire Seed Girl, who can see the phantom of flames, is to ignite the Golden Tree with her own body to pave the way for the Faded Ones to become kings.

But at the same time, she is also a partner who has gone through thick and thin with the Faded Ones, so it is inevitable that she feels sad. Therefore, Melina keeps aloof and does not communicate too much with Frilian, nor does she want her mission to be exposed.

At this moment, Bernal is in danger of being revealed.

"Who can replace the witch? I'm very curious, but of course, I can't reveal that."

"Well, actually she doesn't really like being in the public eye."

"As long as you can use the witch's support abilities normally, that's fine. Everyone has their own secrets, and I can't ask too many questions, but there's one thing I must remind you of."

"Please advise."

Frillie felt that this person contained a lot of information, probably related to a part of the game's deeper storyline.

"...How should I put it? One day you will step into the heart of the Golden Dynasty, even if it means sacrificing someone important who has been with you for a long time? I'm not asking you a question, I just want you to prepare yourself mentally."

“I once had such companions. Before everything disappeared, I kept the possibility that we would meet again someday.”

She gently touched her chest, where the primordial flame resided, possessing the power to create and destroy worlds.

In the final chapter of Dark Souls, Frillian exhausted all means to preserve a part of everyone's soul in a world where the flames were about to die out. In addition, there are always opportunities in the magical theories of different worlds, such as the Tree of Life system in Elden's Ring.

Moreover, upon arriving at the border, several embers spewed out from the flames, drifting away to who knows where. Perhaps merging with the border would offer even more options.

Moreover, game magic can occasionally be obtained through mods, such as save files from multiple playthroughs or one-hit kills.

Frillie believes it's full of possibilities.

“I am prepared to sacrifice, but I must ultimately achieve perfection. I value salvation more than becoming the King of Elden. The former is what my witch told me, and the latter is because I didn’t have time to save her.”

"—This was a perfect answer, beyond my expectations."

Bernal had nothing to criticize. Since the other party possessed the pride of a strong person and the power to deny fate, they would naturally take a different path.

Now he feels more envy and pays tribute to those whose role models have faded.

Fortunately.

Melina, who had been listening attentively, breathed a sigh of relief, as long as the other party didn't directly point out the need to sacrifice the witch's life.

And perhaps she's just being sentimental. Judging from Frilian's current indifferent attitude towards everything, she would never hesitate to make those around her sacrifice when necessary, nor would she linger in sadness.

Finding such a faded person is indeed lucky; the long search over the years has not been in vain.

“I almost forgot.” After changing the subject, Bernal’s tone finally became more enthusiastic: “I will pass on my combat skills to you. This power should naturally be passed on.”

"Then I thank you in advance."

"I should be the one thanking you. It's my pride to have a strong player like you using it. By the way, I think your Storm ability could be even stronger..."

His enthusiasm was rekindled when the topic of combat came up.

Inspired, Frilian's eyes lit up. Following Bernal's idea, she could add more physical destructive power to the combat technique, mixed with magical influence, making Storm Foot lean towards destruction and repulsion, ensuring that it would be earth-shattering once unleashed.

It is said that long ago, the first king, Gopher, possessed power enough to shake the earth and even defeat the Storm King. So, can his power be compared to or even surpass that of the first king?

He believes that the storm should shine even brighter and truly deserve to be called a storm.

In addition, Bernal shared other combat skills, including but not limited to endurance and thrusting, most of which are basic.

A good foundation is essential.

After all, Frilian didn't have the time to delve into the power of numerous combat techniques; she only needed to be able to handle basic battles. In high-pressure situations, she would have to rely on magic. It was only because her currently unlocked Dark Soul magic wasn't powerful enough that their sparring session would have been much faster. Of course, she probably wouldn't have received Bernal's resonance.

After exchanging ideas, she confirmed that the other person was indeed a good teacher.

He's practically a combat skills expert.

In Bernal's hands, it almost became a discipline, and his insights were like a secret manual, each of his guidances enlightening and clearing up one's thinking.

Judging from this master-level experience alone, one can tell that he did not unleash his full strength just now. His inner strength is unfathomable. He must be a major character who appears much later in the story, or even a demigod is this strong.

While lost in thought, Frillie learned most of it.

"...Although you're not serious at all, you have to admit you're exceptionally talented."

"I have taught you what I can teach you in a short time. The rest you can figure out on your own. Remember, different people will use the same combat technique differently."

Bernal stood with his arms crossed and shouted loudly. It was late at night, the stars were shining brightly, and it was probably getting cold.

He gave his closing remarks and was about to say goodbye.

Being able to have a good fight is enough to satisfy me. I never expected that someone could completely inherit these combat skills. I have experienced a long-lost passion for life.

so fast.

Time flies, and the third day passed in the blink of an eye. Frilian showed no signs of fatigue; rather, having experienced the wonders of the borderlands, she was no longer complacent. Perhaps she should be more proactive, working day and night to light up the various blessing points.

"Thank you. After resting for a while, I will go to Moen City to help as you said."

"Of course, I will also proclaim the name of the slain demon sword. It would be better if the border region had one more strong person with good character."

"How will we meet in the future? Around a round table in the hall?"

"...It's not a round table hall. You'll travel north to the Asian Altar Plateau, and you might see it again in the volcanic region to the west. But that's not a good place; you'll see later."

Bernal was clearly unwilling to delve into the topic and waved goodbye.

Throughout, he was very outgoing and generous in offering help, sharing a lot of crucial information, but also shrouding the matter in mystery. He glossed over many important points, leaving the truth unknown.

Although Frilian wanted to ask about the various secrets of the Golden Dynasty, their relationship hadn't reached that point yet.

Get ready.

With this thought in mind, she began packing her bags, intending to continue her journey under the cover of night to avoid the Grik soldiers coming after her and causing trouble.

After summoning the spirit horse, Melina sat behind him, but for some reason she deliberately kept her distance and didn't come closer. Perhaps maintaining balance while riding at high speed would be tiring?

"Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Yes, it's about witches. Frilian, I'm not the witch you originally were. They were all for the Faded Ones, but I have my own mission, so we may not necessarily stay together until the end."

"Of course, if you think you should leave, then go ahead. If you have any trouble, I'll be there whenever you call."

"You misunderstood," Melina thought to herself. "It meant you shouldn't care at all."

Chapter 22 The Underground Tomb Where Death Descends

Communicating in riddles won't work. If Melina doesn't clearly state the mission of the Fire Seed Girl, it will be difficult for her to make Frilian understand, and the latter will feel that she is setting the stage for asking for help in the future.

She seems to have a mindset of being happy to start a trouble for someone and then resolve it.

What would happen if I expressed any expectations myself?

The fear is that Frilian will go all the way through the borderlands to complete the task, from Gelid to the Sacred Tree, no matter the cost. But burning the Golden Tree is the only option.

Forget it.

"We've got a long way to go before discussing sacrifices. Let's talk about that later. Don't take it too seriously. I was just a little moved by what Bernal said, after all, he doesn't have his own witch."

"I understand, but remember, there's always a way to overcome difficulties."

Melina nodded and changed the subject:

"As for the matter of Moen City, since we didn't get any information from the Grek soldiers but were told by Bernal, the rebellion must have just begun. It has a large army, strong fortresses, and its lord Edgar is a master, enough to hold out for a long time."

"If you go too early, you won't get any merit, and you'll easily steal credit from the garrison. You might as well go slower, like you do."

"Moreover, the identity of the faded ones is not well-regarded, and suddenly approaching them when the city's defenses are tense could easily lead to war."

It may sound cold-hearted, but it suits the interests of those who have faded away.

As Frilian's witch, she naturally had to consider things from her partner's perspective. Besides, she didn't think Moen City would fall easily, and there might not be much room for her to make a name for herself.

Not in a hurry.

Compared to that, the sparring with Bernal was the most valuable. Given that powerful figure's circle, the name of the demise of the Demon Sword should soon spread. Therefore, Melina wasn't very interested in supporting the nobles who were loyal to Grek.

“I’ve thought about it, and you’re right. Besides, if we go slowly, we’ll have a chance to explore the maze.”

"So you really enjoy exploring every place thoroughly? Most people who fade would avoid it like the plague."

"Of course, that's one of the joys of traveling."

Frillie rarely showed such eagerness, because she sensed the presence of death ahead, a dark and gloomy atmosphere that might indicate something good.

The isolation of the Elf Village did not make her a shut-in. On the contrary, after experiencing the ups and downs of the game, she developed a love for adventure, especially small-scale miniature designs like mazes.

"You seem to have been to many places. What hometown could produce someone like you who has faded into obscurity?"

"It's war-torn, with monsters called demons slaughtering everything... but it's better than the places outside the border regions you mentioned that I visited."

As they were talking, a small stone archway came into view ahead, but the deadly magic that rushed towards them was no joke.

As Frilian retrieved her spirit horse, she carefully observed the cave:

Sure enough, a large number of skeleton monsters appeared, baring their teeth and claws. They roared, howled, and even wielded weapons. Sometimes they collided and shattered with each other, but soon recovered and roamed around. They should belong to the undead race.

Melina explained, "After the Night of the Black Knife, a large number of monsters appeared due to accidental deaths, carrying the pollution of death, making them very difficult to eliminate..."

She also explained concepts such as tree malfunction, dead root, and hunter-killer of the newborn.

"In short, it can be said that this is one of the calamities directly caused by the Night of the Black Knife, which has plagued the border region for many years."

"So, by restoring the magic ring and allowing the world to have proper death, at least this great scourge has been reduced?"

"Correct."