Frilian at Elden Ring

Frilian said seriously, "The battle festival is a minor matter. The key is the information about the Crimson Corruption. I heard that you have mastered the relevant magic. Can we make a deal?"

"It's not cheap."

"I know we can benefit from each other. How about I exchange it for soul magic?"

Sir Bai Zhi, who had originally planned to raise prices indirectly, fell silent. He had been hearing so much about soul healing lately that he couldn't understand how it could be done.

Even a genius like the Full Moon Queen, who could create life, got stuck at the soul stage. Why should a mere newcomer or a faded being be able to do it?

After meeting Frilian, he had to believe that she was an extremely powerful magician with a knowledge system completely different from that of the borderlands. Perhaps she could break free from conventional thinking and discover new truths. No magician would refuse that.

But he still instinctively tried to bargain: "As far as I know, you're already sharing your experience for free. Is that knowledge enough to be used in a transaction?"

"I welcome you to come and learn, and not the kind of knowledge that is only suitable for mages with low intelligence."

"make a deal."

Even Ofnir couldn't help but comment on the issue of intelligence attributes when Frilian brought it up.

One shouldn't question a magician's basic qualities. In short, the deal is feasible. What can she possibly accomplish with just a scarlet, corrupt prayer? It doesn't matter.

"I will teach you the strongest magic of Crimson Corruption, the Valkyrie's technique: Crimson Ionia."

75

Chapter 75 Did you seduce the Lord of Cinder?

Upon hearing this, Freylian raised an eyebrow, wondering if Ophniel was advertising Valkyrie's moves or subtly hinting at something.

Sir Bai Zhi suddenly spoke up: "Over the years, many Faded Ones have traveled far and wide, and some have even come close to meeting the Lord of Law... so I do know some information."

She glanced at the relevant advice on the ground. Logically speaking, Sir Hundred Wisdoms had only studied the Crimson Corruption at most, and it might not have blossomed. Could there be some inconsistency in the information?

After much deliberation, Frillie decided to proceed with the deal first...

"Speaking of which, you call yourself the King of Cinder, and coincidentally, some related parties have recently arrived outside the borderlands."

Do you have any intelligence?

"I'm not entirely sure either, I only know that they scattered to all corners of the world."

Upon hearing this, the silver-haired girl scrutinized the other party with sharp eyes. The latter's expression remained unchanged. She did not believe that he was completely unaware of the situation, and that he might even have made contact with the person in question, thus causing some omissions in player information.

The two of them put aside their points of contention and chatted politely while writing the case together and exchanging their experiences.

When the topic turned to magic, Neferi, a berserker-type character, couldn't understand it, so she said goodbye and left the room. As soon as she stepped outside, a crowd gathered around, curiously asking about the relationship between the two inside. Would they argue?

He is a mage after all.

There are countless cases of people fighting each other on the border due to different schools of thought. For example, even when people from the magic academy have their brains smashed together, they still won't stop.

As two of the world's top magicians, they could easily have a quarrel and part ways on bad terms. Two tigers cannot share one mountain; compared to the covert competition among the faded ones, magical exchanges are likely to cause more conflict.

"...Don't worry, everyone, they're having a pleasant conversation and are trading magic."

Roger's eyes lit up immediately: "What?"

"It was Frilian who proposed exchanging soul magic for the Crimson Corruption magic; that shouldn't be a secret."

"I estimate that she is more concerned about how to manage the ecological problems of Galid than with General Rataen's Great Rune, otherwise sooner or later the pollution will cross the Flame Wall and erode Nymgford."

"Hopefully."

Even with Nefertari's courage, she shuddered at the thought of the spread of the crimson corruption, determined to stop it, lest it lead to utter devastation.

As mentioned earlier, even battle festivals are not that important.

"In my opinion, Frilian's true skill lies in her understanding of magic and invention, while Sir Hundred Wisdom is known for his extensive knowledge of various magics. A powerful combination of these two will surely be formidable."

Roger's assessment reassured everyone somewhat; it should work.

Excluding the delirious Rataen and Renara, the two strongest mages in their full form are undoubtedly Frilian and Ofnir. One excels at analysis and invention, while the other is practically an encyclopedia—the best combination that comes to mind. Both being Faded Ones and heroes of the Round Table Hall recognized by two fingers, they should be able to achieve extraordinary results.

Or rather, no one but them could handle it.

With this in mind, the group continued to prepare for the welcome party, and the long-dull round table hall finally came alive again.

Even though Fiya, who rarely leaves the house, and Xiu Gu, who never leaves the forging table, noticed the changes.

rare.

It seems that the appearance of the new Fragment King represents a significant boost to morale, and Frilian's policy of welcoming her colleagues means that the Round Table's actions in Nymgford will proceed smoothly, which can be seen as a way of returning the favor.

However, the two researchers in the room were somewhat displeased; it was too noisy.

That being said, it did not prevent them from quickly exchanging basic magical insights and principles, which was considered as revealing the core of their exclusive secret formulas to top-tier magicians.

"I have explained the basics of soul magic to you, but some of it doesn't align with the logic of the borderlands. Feel free to ask me anything..."

"Rest assured, Your Excellency."

Faced with Frillie's behaving like a good teacher, Sir Bai Zhi solemnly put away the documents and sincerely said:

"The path of magical research is filled with all sorts of ancient, lost, and alien things, no less than anything outside the borderlands. Solving puzzles is part of the fun. If I can't learn it, it's because I'm not talented enough, it has nothing to do with you, that's just how it is."

"I believe that the more powerful the magic, the more universally applicable it can be."

"Let's set aside our differing philosophies for now; it's my turn to speak. The so-called Crimson Corruption magic is a system represented by the Ionian Flower, capable of continuously corrupting a target and causing damage..."

Since the deal was done, Olnieux was absolutely clear about the principles, explaining them in detail to ensure they were simple and easy to understand.

At the same time, he took out a thick stack of research materials.

This includes years of detailed research on the ecology of the Galid region, spanning a vast period of time, making it a veritable guide map.

Sir Hundred Wisdom wouldn't even reveal it to the average person, not because of secrecy, but because fools wouldn't understand; they wouldn't grasp the nature of his work. But Frilian was different; she could spot its special nature at a glance.

The silver-haired girl examined several data files, her eyes sparkling, and at the same time, she reached out her hand.

Bloom!

A flower bud slowly floated out from the palm of her hand, its golden-red color exuding an alluring charm. A strange, corrosive sensation emanated from it. Fortunately, the place was protected by the magic workshop, otherwise it would have been very dangerous. Only the skilled and daring owner remained calm and composed, watching this scene with astonishment.

At the same time, relevant prompts from the player's perspective appeared in Frillie's mind:

[Marleneia's moves as the goddess of corruption]

[Capable of producing large blooms, triggering a crimson decay]

With each bloom of the scarlet flower, Marlene deteriorates a little more.

That flower has now bloomed twice.

And the third time, she will definitely transform into a goddess.

It turns out that Sir Hundred Wisdom wasn't bluffing at all; he truly possessed abilities befitting a demigod or even a god. How did he learn them? Could it be due to some changes he caused when he arrived at the border, which prompted him to head towards the Valkyrie's location?

There's no point asking.

She then carefully manipulated the Crimson Corruption, but due to her lack of skill and reluctance to infuse it with too much magic, she decided to stop there and not conduct experiments in the Round Table Hall.

"Unfortunately, I can't bloom yet."

“It’s already quite good. To be honest, I’m quite surprised. Even talented magicians often take three to five years to finally blossom… Of course, that is, if they die from the corruption before that.”

"Wait, does that mean Crimson Corruption also comes at a cost to itself?"

"Yes, I had someone test it, and the cost is much lower for those of us who can have complete control."

"But it seems to be related to the goddess of corruption; the more it blooms, the closer it gets to that deity."

“Don’t worry, the goddess Malenia is already under the watchful eye of the Crimson God of Corruption, and so many of her followers are devoted to her. Therefore, her blooming is a response to the gods, and a turning towards Him. In the eyes of mortals, it is more powerful, but also comes at a greater cost.”

No wonder.

Sir Hundred would avoid anything too risky, so his willingness to make a deal means it's still under control, which is why he's so generous to Frilian.

Therefore, without the watchful gaze of a deity, its power is greatly diminished?

The way Valkyrie Marlenia fought against General Rataen of the Shattered Star was different; the abilities learned by later generations were different from those that corrupted Gali!

Frillie looked disappointed.

“Don’t worry, I know you want to solve the contamination of Galid. It’s worth studying, and so am I. Whether it’s the prayer of a sorcerer or a god, the basic principles are not much different, and it will surely inspire us to find the final solution.”

"However, I can tell you one thing directly: you probably won't find the answer at the border, so you need knowledge from outside that area."

That's why Olnief made generous deals and offered encouragement to newcomers and those who had faded from the scene.

Although he had various schemes, there was a common interest in dealing with the expansion of the Scarlet Corruption.

Give it a try.

Perhaps the knowledge of people from outside the borders of Guangluo can bring about new changes. Similarly, the soul magic created by Frilian has given him many valuable ideas, and he can't wait to start experimenting.

It's clear she's a researcher with a humanistic focus, unlike others, who have a wealth of practical examples of both the soul and corruption.

In fact, Frilian was also thinking about experimental subjects.

Crimson Corruption is too dangerous. Even knowing that its effects are greatly reduced in non-divine versions, the lesson of Galid cannot be ignored. So, who is the most suitable person to conduct the experiment?

Demons.

They have high average quality and high magic resistance; you can find them easily.

The advantages are numerous, making it well-suited for developing methods to reverse Scarlet Corruption; at the very least, its feasibility in principle needs to be confirmed. Clarifying "whether it's actually possible" in the research field is half the battle won. If it works, reversing corruption will inevitably be developed sooner or later.

I need to go back and compile and study all the different kinds of magic, preferably with the help of an elven mage.

The accumulation of immortal species is sufficient.

With this thought, Frilian clenched her fingers, crushing the crimson, decaying flower bud in her palm. A wisp of energy escaped before it completely dissipated. Even after the magic was dispelled, the residual contamination was negligible, truly a mortal version.

“I understand the basics. Thank you for sharing, Your Excellency Olnie.”

"You flatter me. In fact, what I received is of greater value. After all, the Crimson Corruption already existed, while you gave me unique magic."

"As compensation, I'll tell you some information about demigods."

"I'm more interested in the King of Cinder."

"Sorry, I don't know anything about them."

Sir Hundred-Mindedness lied; in reality, his spies had made contact immediately, as early as when Frilian first arrived. Therefore, he knew this person was worth using and might as well give her a push to muddy the waters.

He mentioned a rather special one: Queen Renara of the Full Moon, although she does not possess the bloodline of the Gold Saints, she holds an unexpected Great Rune, which he recommended to obtain.