Frillian in the Elden Ring

"It's okay, at least I can see that it's qualified material. Come back, all of you, to avoid being accidentally injured later."

The silver-haired girl shook the bell.

All of the around ten ashes were absorbed, and the place was suddenly empty. In order to repair their injuries, Fulilian also drew on some magic power and soul power to inject them, which served as exclusive rehabilitation training for the ashes.

Although they did not defeat the Bionic Teardrops, they proved their malleability. Moreover, the Legion of Ashes is suitable for large-scale combat, so they are bound to suffer losses when facing top mages.

No, to be precise, it's a battle mage. This guy is really good at learning.

The clone in front of him still had two magic swords in his stance.

Wow!

It suddenly swept out a frosty white sword energy, but Fulilian in front of it dodged it with a light jump, gracefully and accurately.

I didn't expect to defeat the enemy with one move, so I'll just try again.

This time, the Bionic Teardrop's movements were even faster, a subtle sense of fluidity woven into its swordplay. Not only were there shadows of the Flowing Water Sword Technique, but also the battle-hardened battlefield skills of its original prototype, all converged and unleashed with all their might.

With a crisp clang, the force field ripples seized the fleeting opportunity to completely block the attack, and then followed up with a kick in the abdomen.

The seemingly casual low kick actually contains terrifying power, which is powerful enough to send the target flying.

The response is so fast!

In the clone's eyes, Fulilian's movements were not only swift but also precise. She struck without warning and pierced the defense with a single blow, unexpectedly seizing the slightest flaw. No, it wasn't a flaw; it was her skill that allowed her to achieve the desired result with just a touch and a flick of the knife.

It rolled over in a panic before standing up.

He could have executed the opponent with a precise deflection, but he showed mercy and instead injected as much magic power into his own body as possible. It was a flaming energy that burned the soul.

"I did learn a lot, but unfortunately the techniques were too diverse and not very meaningful."

Broom star.

Anticipating that the opponent was strong in combat, Teardrop used magic, but Freellian responded with the same move.

Two broom stars exploded in the air, scattering pyroxene debris and dust, but the latter one was larger and still flew towards the enemy.

The clone was caught off guard and was hit by a huge meteor. The pyroxene exploded on its surface. The shock wave and flying fragments damaged its body, but there was no gap or disability, only disorder of magical power.

The difficulty lies in suppressing it without causing serious damage.

It is also not easy for a demigod wizard of Fulilian's level.

But she had been immersed in the study of magic for many years and had rich theoretical knowledge. She knew that changing the nature of magic could ensure precise strikes. Only the commonly used and stable broom stars could withstand such transformation. Fortunately, one strike secured the victory, and it was time to end it.

Click!

The Sword of Night and Fire seized the moment when Teardrop stood up and pierced his heart. The key point was the influx of demon-breaking magic power.

The arrogant replica was stunned, as if he couldn't believe that he was defeated so easily.

Then he fell to the ground with a dull look on his face. His body gradually lost its stable shape, and the half-liquid and half-solid state flowed into a teardrop larva, lying quietly on the spot.

"Melina, its magic is very adaptable."

Flillian leaned in and touched.

My fingers felt a touch of coolness, and I easily injected magic power into it and kept it active. In a sense, this ensured that the shaping process should be able to withstand the power of a demigod.

"Add to that the blessing from the Great Lu En that was never born, and my two blessings, and it should be enough."

"Indeed, it is the strongest teardrop larva we have encountered so far."

"Since the Eternal City can be built, there must be relevant magical data. We must find it so that our research can be more effective."

"I'll be ready too."

Although Melina didn't know what she should prepare, she had to adjust herself to a good state and not let her good intentions go to waste.

As Fulilian devised her plan, she glanced to the side and almost forgot about her other trophy.

So ugly.

Fulilian rarely judges a treasure by its appearance, but the [Silver Teardrop Mask] is too strange in shape. The face is like a puddle of silver mud, and the facial features are invisible. From head to neck, it is covered with a silver shell.

It's more like a helmet than a mask, appearing to obstruct the senses, but having the opposite effect:

[The corpse of the deformed creature will be called the Silver Teardrop]

[Together with the hardened shell and the mask worn on the face]

[Can greatly increase induction, but will reduce physical attack power]

[Imitate the thing that imitates others──]

【It is a subversive idea】

Corpse?

Although using the enemy's corpse is not new in the world she has experienced, Fulilian still minds wearing it on her face, so she decided to give it a try anyway.

She put the silver teardrop mask on her head, and it indeed covered everything in all directions, replaced by a wide range of perception.

It can extend from here to the ruins of the Nokron Courtyard that we passed by, spanning two blessed points. In the vast border area, it is an unimaginable detection distance, making it easy to gain the upper hand.

However, it does not strengthen the soul's perspective perception enough.

Another novel discovery is that it seems to be possible to examine the teardrop larvae structure more closely, as if opening up a perspective.

"Never mind. It's not for me."

Fulilian took off the mask and combed her hair, deciding to keep it as a collectible.

"You can wear it to guide your magic power when you need to use the teardrop larvae material later, but it's unnecessary at other times. My mental perception is sufficient, and strengthening it further would make me uncomfortable."

"As long as it works."

"Yes, we have reaped a great harvest."

The silver-haired girl packed up and continued on her journey without stopping.

No matter how you look at it, the arch at the end of the corridor in front gives people a visual clue. If you spread your perception further, you will find that it is a densely packed complex of buildings, standing intact and still majestic in the underground world.

It reminds people of the iconic terraced building of the Holy Wall City, and the memories brought back to Fulilian made her look forward to it even more.

She unfolded the information in the attic of Lani's Magician Tower and pointed to one of the locations.

The Dark Night Realm.

"If there are any treasures hidden in the Eternal City, only this relatively intact place is likely to still exist."

Melina nodded in agreement. "In other words, even if it were kept somewhere else, it would have sunk deeper over time or been destroyed by monsters. Based on experience, it's most likely there."

"If you obtain the Hunting Finger Blade, then quickly return to the Magic Academy and contact Lani. I will also perform the ritual to create your body."

"why?"

"After all, the Full Moon Queen's secret life technique takes time. During this period, it's just right for you to separate from me and stay in the most heavily guarded academy. I will complete the plan to assassinate Two Fingers. This is very dangerous and involves too many uncertainties."

To be honest, Freellian is very afraid of enemies who can hide behind the scenes and perform mental control. Blaze is a lesson learned.

So I don't want Melina to be in danger.

The more critical the moment, the more careful you should be and not give up all your previous efforts.

"...Okay, since it's your decision, the prerequisite is that we find it first."

"of course."

"What do you think, Lani? Could our target be in the Dark Realm?"

Fulilian took out the blue-haired doll and used magic to contact it: "Also, have you contacted Blaze?"

As expected, a touch of moon magic power rose up, and under the illusory starry sky, it responded even colder:

"Don't worry, he's in a stable condition within the seal. As for the Hunting Finger Blade, it's likely to remain in the center of the Eternal City."

"That is, in front of us?"

"Yes, only a ruined corner of the once magnificent super city remains. There should be many enemies inside. Be careful."

At Fulilian's whistle, the spirit horse Torret appeared. With a neigh as it raised its front hooves, it carried the two of them with boiling blood towards the distant buildings of the Dark Realm.

The wise beast also had a premonition that this adventure was crucial and was a precursor to a major event.

……

At the same time, above the Falling Star Cave.

The Faded Ones arrived, led by Nepheli, D and Roger, as well as other Faded Ones and Nimgfu elites, including Dragon Eaters and Limb-Removing Nobles.

It was Hyde who had just arrived who escorted them and guided them along the way.

As the local lord and the person in charge of this expedition, it is his duty to go to the front line in person, at least to see it for himself.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a delicate handkerchief and said, "Your Majesty moved too quickly. He left before I could even see you."

“Very much like her.”

Neferi laughed out loud and rubbed her hands together.

"Be cautious. Your mission this time is only to eliminate the monster threat at the entrance and explore and create a passage that can accommodate more people. Conduct reconnaissance, and the engineering team will follow later."

Following behind were the mountain goblins and the demihumans, two large labor forces, ready to build a ladder.

Everyone was discussing the specific details and was ready to go to the underground world.

Compared to the noise, D quietly looked into the dark cave.

"what happened?"

"I have a strange palpitation, Roger. Although it's very faint, there are traces of the Deadborn in the tree roots here, leading all the way to the source that Fulilian mentioned might exist."

"Are you referring to the corrupt tree spirit we defeated in Stonewell City?"

The magician looked thoughtful. "The investigation revealed that it was caused by the dead prince."

"Yes, if necessary, the source of pollution should be cleaned up."

"Your attitude remains as firm as ever, huh? Some people at the Round Table actually believe in the Dead Prince."

"Fia? Nothing much to say."

"We can discuss that later. Our immediate priority is underground exploration. The first decision before us is: ladder or jump?"

Roger's words interrupted everyone's discussion, and everyone stood at the entrance of the cave and looked down.

Whoops!

The cold wind whistled like a roar, and the occasional surge of magical power raged. The crater created by the meteorite was already unstable, so how could it be expected to be safe? It was a good thing it didn't continue to collapse.

You can vaguely see a trace of colorful magic left intentionally, leading from the edge of the cave into a mist, guiding the entrance for those who come later.

Only the Soul Fire King has the energy to leave marks while exploring.

Hyde looked around and muttered, "Strange, there's no trace of a rope around. How did His Majesty get down there?"

"Of course, I'll use gravity magic to fly down."

Roger's answer was once again shocking. How difficult was it to maintain an undisturbed gravitational field under such circumstances? He was incredibly audacious to jump without hesitation. No wonder the magic trace was pointing vertically downward.

So the traces of the path she left behind are useless, only the entrance marker is worth referring to.

"It's too risky."

"So we'll have to use a conservative approach. The first reconnaissance team will rappel down, and the second engineering team will set up the ladder before we return."

"We have no choice but to do this for now. After all, the cave entrance is very dangerous and we can't fly over it like His Majesty."

Hyde gave the order: "Move."

"Yes, my lord."

The fortress soldiers immediately chiseled the cliff face, embedding steel nails one by one and tying them with ropes. As a precaution, they widened the wall to form a rope net that extended all the way to where Fulilian had placed her magic mark.

Although it looks simple, they don't have many options, and if it's too big, it will be easily blown away by the wind.

Therefore, the rope net needs to be close to the rock wall to avoid being caught in turbulent currents.

After a moment, the engineers pulled the rope to confirm that it was strong enough. The rest depended on whether the climber could maintain balance.

This requires extremely high physical coordination.

They stared into the depths of the land where the stars fell, but could not see the bottom. There was only endless darkness. The hole created by the meteorite might have reached the bottom of the underground. Who knew where the limit was.

Hyde warned, "Don't fight too long after you get in. Clear out the safe zone first. My men will set up a more secure ladder and arrive soon. It's estimated to take two days."