Chapter 62: The Fall of the Stone Giant and the Bloodkin’s Demise

“Boom—!!!”

With the final roar of the fireball’s explosion, the Stone Giant finally crashed onto the street with a thud.

Its colossal body was riddled with charred indentations, bearing silent witness to the countless magical attacks it had endured.

The Mage’s face was pale, seemingly utterly drained of all magical and mental energy. The Knight, who had stood before the Stone Giant, gasped for breath, their shield already battered and dented. Only after the Stone Giant fell did they finally exhale, slumping to the ground in exhaustion.

“Is it dealt with?”

The Priestess gazed at the fallen Stone Giant. Lucia stood atop its head, her Gun-sword fully embedded in its skull, a pure white Sacred Flame still burning on its hilt.

Even the most resilient earth element could not withstand the Sacred Flame-wreathed Gun-sword. As the Gun-sword pierced the Stone Giant’s body, Lucia immediately incinerated the magical core within it using the Sacred Flame.

According to the Mage’s observations, the Stone Giant possessed two magical cores: one in its abdomen and another in its head. Both had to be destroyed to render it immobile. Lucia had already obliterated the abdominal core, and now the one in its head. With both cores annihilated, the Stone Giant finally ceased its destructive rampage.

They had spent a considerable amount of time to fell the Stone Giant. Many houses along the street were caught in the crossfire of their battle, transforming the alley into little more than ruins.

Despite defeating the Stone Giant, Lucia felt no joy. The surrounding homes lay in devastating ruin, and the Bloodkin remained at large. Her teacher was still pursuing the Bloodkin, and until Lovelenica returned, Lucia could not truly rest easy.

As if in answer to Lucia’s worries, Lovelenica’s voice echoed in her ears just as she fretted over her teacher’s safety.

“I’m back. Have you defeated the Stone Giant?”

“Teacher, you’re back!”

Lucia turned, seeing Lovelenica, completely unharmed, leap down from a rooftop and land before her. Upon Lovelenica’s return, the Priestess also moved closer to them.

“The Stone Giant has been dealt with. What about the Bloodkin? Did you capture her?”

“Yes, I caught up to her. Her magic was severely overdrawn, posing no threat to me. I couldn’t get anything useful out of her, so I simply killed her.”

Lovelenica removed a ring from her finger, placing it in her palm for the two to see.

“Her body is on the city wall at the North Gate, but I’ve already burned her. This is her Spatial Ring; her Mage’s emblem and other items are stored inside. The rest is for Priestess to investigate.”

With that, Lovelenica handed the black ring to the Priestess.

In truth, Rachel’s body had not been burned but rather devoured by Lovelenica. However, it mattered little that Lovelenica hadn’t brought back Rachel’s corpse. They inherently despised Fantasy Creatures; as long as a Fantasy Creature was confirmed dead, no one cared how its body was disposed of. The lingering remnants on the city wall and this ring were almost certain proof of Rachel’s demise.

“No useful information, then… Alright.”

The Priestess appeared slightly regretful but quickly accepted the fact. She took the ring, intending to thoroughly investigate Rachel’s belongings within it.

As the three conversed, Night Watch members from other areas began to arrive. The Priestess entrusted the cleanup to the Night Watch, then returned to the convent with Lucia and Lovelenica to inquire further about Rachel.

After some discussion, they concluded that Rachel was no ordinary Bloodkin. As for other details, they would have to await the Church’s investigation.

Lovelenica actually knew that Rachel had once been human and hadn’t been transformed into a Bloodkin through the embrace ritual. She was very likely a member of the Mage Association. However, Lovelenica had not disclosed this information to the Priestess. It was better for the Church to uncover these details themselves. If Rachel’s name appeared on the Mage Association’s past member lists, the Church would undoubtedly find her.

Lucia, on the other hand, believed Rachel was a Bloodkin spy who had infiltrated human cities, thinking Rachel’s name was fake and her Mage’s emblem and robes were stolen after killing a Mage.

The Priestess shared Lucia’s view, but all conclusions would have to wait until after the investigation.

For Lucia, this mission was unsatisfactory. Though Rachel had been eliminated, their battle had affected nearby civilians. She resolved that on her next mission, she would eliminate the target as quickly as possible, minimizing casualties.

As for Lovelenica, she had gained a general understanding of her post-satiation strength through this test. Her power had indeed increased after feeding.

Yet, even with this enhancement, she was merely at the Profane level. With Profane-level strength, confronting Disaster-level Liliana was clearly impossible.

However, Lovelenica had inadvertently stumbled upon traces of her primal power during this operation. If she could reclaim this power, it would significantly increase her chances of victory against Liliana in the future.

The crisis in Cariso City was temporarily averted. The Priestess decided to send Lucia and Lovelenica back to the Royal City first, awaiting the investigation results before submitting a report via Holy Document. Thus, after their final night of rest at the Lovers’ Inn, Lucia and Lovelenica embarked on their journey back to the Royal City the following midday.