Mount & Blade

Charging into the army formation might have seemed reckless, but Frieren's flawless display of swordsmanship left absolutely no openings.

Clang! Crash!

The Farron Flashsword, wielded with absolute mastery, shifted in length and width unpredictably, making it impossible for opponents to judge the attack range. Godrick soldiers were decapitated before they could even attempt to parry. Single-handedly, she shattered the elite front line.

An army's vanguard might not always be its strongest element, but it holds immense value, serving as the anchor of the formation, tasked with meeting the enemy head-on. Now, they wavered, collapsing one after another, creating a breach in their line.

"Torrent, faster! Let's jump right over them!"

No sooner were the words spoken than the spirit steed executed consecutive leaps, clearing the defensive line formed by the greatshield soldiers and exposing the vulnerable rear ranks completely.

Without the front line to absorb the pressure, the ordinary soldiers quickly crumbled under Frieren's magic swords. Not only that, but the Farron Arrow Rain continued its relentless barrage, covering both mid-range and long-range targets. The comprehensive assault left no blind spots.

Predictably, utter chaos erupted within the camp – a cacophony of battle cries, curses, and the sounds of crashing supplies and collapsing equipment.

"Get clear!"

"You idiots, run!"

"Quick, report to Lord Godrick!"

Amidst the panic, the soldiers still maintained a shred of organization, attempting to disengage from the battlefield. Frieren didn't have time to pursue them all immediately; dealing with the immediate threat was the priority. The army had already lost its formation and cohesion, leading to trampling casualties among their own ranks.

Truthfully, Frieren had little experience in large-scale pitched battles. She had only resorted to this less ideal tactic of charging in because her truly devastating, large-scale destructive magic was currently sealed – a common occurrence when entering a new 'game world'. Most abilities accumulated from the previous 'game' would be sealed, gradually unlocking as her current 'game character' grew stronger. Her inherent, base abilities, however, faced the fewest restrictions – for example, while a Dark Souls character might not normally use Farron Flashsword, her true self could.

Hence the need to harvest Runes.

[Godrick Soldier Ashes acquired. Summonable.]

The sudden notification made Frieren pause for a moment. Urging Torrent onward, she temporarily withdrew from the heart of the battle. She needed to quickly examine these new ashes. Did this mean she could now command these two Godrick soldiers?

"In the Lands Between, those you defeat can sometimes manifest as spirit ashes to fight alongside you," Melina's voice advised from behind, tinged with a hint of anticipation. "Try using them. With a soul as powerful as yours, you should be able to unleash their power beyond normal limits."

Ting-a-ling.

With a shake of the Spirit Calling Bell, accompanied by its melodic chime, clumps of ash spread across the ground before coalescing and standing tall.

Lone Wolf Ashes: 3 wolves.

Wandering Noble Ashes: 5 lightly equipped units with weapons.

Godrick Soldier Ashes: 2 fully armored soldier units.

A total of 10 units now stood around Torrent. In Frieren's assessment, this force was still insufficient. Without hesitation, she cast the "Enhance Undead Units" magic from her reality, just as she had tested on the wolves earlier. Instantly, all the spirits were enveloped in light, letting out roars as their stats received a short-term boost while retaining their original awareness.

Charge again!

Frieren once more acted as the sharpest point of the vanguard's thrust, but this time she deliberately slowed her pace slightly to avoid outdistancing her ash warriors, advancing in formation. Even with this slight compromise in speed, the panicked Godrick soldiers were in no condition to exploit the opening.

If anything, their morale utterly collapsed. Witnessing the silver-haired girl commanding spirit ashes – how could they possibly fight against that? These were essentially puppet units: fearless of death, impervious to pain, tireless... seemingly unbeatable. Unless one could kill them by depleting the ashes' own 'health,' but the soldiers no longer possessed the strength for that. In the eyes of the garrison troops, these 11 figures plus the horse now seemed like a formidable legion.

"Full retreat!"

Someone shouted the order, prompting several soldiers to abandon their armor and weapons and flee. The command spread like wildfire, shattering the last vestiges of organization. They streamed out of the camp, heading towards the distant gate and barrier leading to Stormveil.

Frieren, naturally, wouldn't let her enemies escape so easily. She unleashed another Farron Arrow Rain ahead of the fleeing soldiers, hindering their retreat, while Torrent's speed, combined with the enhanced ashes, allowed them to easily catch up.

She chose to hang back slightly and observe, treating this as the first combat test for her ashes. The current situation pitted her 10 mixed units against over a hundred severely weakened soldiers. Although these Godrick troops still carried some arms, their effectiveness was drastically reduced. A significant portion of their main force had already fallen during Frieren's initial charge, and crucially, they now utterly lacked the organization essential for warfare.

"Awooo!"

Each wolf fought ferociously, latching onto soldiers with incredible resilience, shrugging off blows as they charged. Their agile forms leaped onto soldiers' shoulders, biting at exposed necks. Even armor couldn't fully withstand their sharp fangs, which tore through protection to damage vital points. Their kill efficiency was high, almost every pounce finding its mark, their impact alone often knocking soldiers down and exposing weaknesses, leading to repeated scenes of death. Had the soldiers been in good condition, the wolves might not have fared so well, but their strength truly shone in pursuing a broken enemy.

Meanwhile, the Wandering Noble Ashes served to pin down enemies. Benefiting from their numbers (five units) and the enhancement, they began cutting into the fragmented enemy lines, forcing the already intimidated Godrick soldiers to actively avoid them.

"Those things are tough but slow, stay clear!"

"They're just a few skeletons!"

"Watch out for magic!"

At this point, Frieren reopened her fire support, aiding her ashes with ranged magic – after all, she needed to observe their performance, which meant keeping them from dying too quickly. The newly acquired Godrick Soldier Ashes performed exceptionally well. Despite being the fewest in number, they often killed their target in single combat, exhibiting overwhelming dueling power. As armored units inherently, becoming ashes removed biological weaknesses. Coupled with the dedicated enhancement magic, the gap between them and their opponents widened considerably; their kill efficiency surpassed even that of the wolves.

However, the desperate counterattacks of the cornered Godrick soldiers weren't entirely ineffective. They inflicted considerable damage, and the ashes' health bars steadily decreased, nearing the point of casualties.

Boom! Thwack!

Simple offensive spells, precisely aimed by Frieren, easily finished off the remaining stragglers. None escaped her targeting. They finally fell just before reaching the gate barring the way forward.

As for the spirit ashes, they wandered aimlessly for a short while after the battle concluded before losing their drive. A shake of the bell caused them to vanish. This proved her 'Ashen Legion' concept was viable; one day, she could potentially build a true army. Moreover, since these summons possessed a degree of intelligence and acted willingly, weren't they inherently superior to the mindless puppets controlled by demons?

The fighting capability of the Godrick Soldiers, however diminished, was still commendable, demonstrating that the Lands Between retained at least some semblance of organizational structure.

Finally, Frieren didn't forget to conduct one last sweep with a wide-range mana sense. It was a habit ingrained from years of 'gaming' experience – cautiousness was key, lest an assassin suddenly emerge from some hidden corner, which would be incredibly annoying.

"All clear," she declared. "Now it's time to clean up the battlefield."

________

✨ Hello, dear readers of Wancheng Funeral Parlor! 💖 This is the newest release from our beloved Funeral Parlor, a translation we were soooo excited to launch! We're counting on your Reviews and Power Stones to help us on this journey! Yahoooooo! ✨

We'll release an extra chapter 🎁 for every 5 reviews!

Orrrrr for every 100 Power Stones! Come on, come on, come on! The Director has gone crazyyyy! 🤪🔥

Let's go, let's go! 🎉 Want 40 advanced chapters and stories before they hit the web novel? ✨

✨ SUPPORT US HERE! ✨

👇👇👇

💖✨ patreon.com/Walnutchan ✨💖 <- 40 advanced chapters!