Chapter 99: Anxious Wait Under the Moonlight

A pungent, charred smell hung heavy in the air. Under the dark cloak of night, three young women huddled amidst the abandoned street’s ruins, resting against crumbling walls. Viscous blood, remnants of the slain black-clad figures, slowly dripped from the stone and snaked across the ground, emitting a faint, lingering stench.

Though the aftermath of the recent battle had swept away nearly all the specters in the vicinity, the Lost City was teeming with them, and new ones constantly emerged. Already, several oblivious specters were drawing close to Lucia and her companions.

“Clang—”

Several flashes of silver light streaked through the air. The translucent specters were instantly cleaved in two, dissolving into nothingness.

Within Lucia’s squad, only Lucia herself retained her full combat strength.

Imeline, though physically unharmed, had utterly depleted her magic and spiritual energy. She couldn’t wring out a single drop of power; merely staying conscious was a testament to her endurance.

Attestor’s magical reserves weren’t as drained, but she had been wounded by the black-clad figures. While the Holy Healing spell had somewhat mended her injuries, any strenuous movement would undoubtedly cause them to reopen. Thus, it was best for her to avoid any overly forceful actions.

After slaying all the specters that drew near, Lucia looked up at the bright moon in the dark night sky. Then, she ascended to a rooftop, gazing in the direction Lovelenica had departed.

Lucia worried deeply for Lovelenica’s safety. Even as a fifth-tier Beheading Nun, Lovelenica was still only a human being.

She didn’t possess Lucia’s exceptional physical prowess or self-healing abilities, nor did she wield the Holy Fire capable of purifying all. Could mere Divine Power truly be enough to defeat that Bloodkin?

Initially, when Lovelenica had first pursued Olivia, Lucia’s fervent wish was for her teacher to absolutely annihilate that detestable Bloodkin.

However, once Lucia returned to her companions, protecting them and regaining a measure of calm, she realized her anxieties weren’t solely about whether the Bloodkin could be fully eradicated.

She was equally concerned for Lovelenica’s well-being.

As time wore on, Lucia’s worry for Lovelenica gradually surpassed her anger about the Bloodkin that needed to be killed. She then realized that, for her, slaying Fantasy Creatures wasn’t the most paramount concern.

Lovelenica’s safe return seemed even more important than the annihilation of any Fantasy Creature.

The time spent waiting for Lovelenica made Lucia increasingly anxious. The longer the delay, it seemed, the more it indicated Lovelenica was engaged in a bitter struggle.

Lucia wondered if Lovelenica, if injured, would continue to pursue the Vampire, dragging her wounded body along.

Most professionals in the Arcadia Kingdom harbored a deep loathing for Fantasy Creatures, and Lucia was no different. If she herself were to be injured during a pursuit, even if it meant losing limbs, and even if she lacked self-healing abilities, she would never give up as long as there was even a sliver of a chance to eliminate her opponent.

Would her teacher, Lovelenica, share this same resolve?

Lucia did not wish for her teacher to hold such a thought. Even if Lovelenica couldn’t eliminate the Bloodkin, she at least needed to return safe and sound. Lucia didn’t want Lovelenica to risk her life pursuing the enemy.

As the wait prolonged, Lucia’s fervent prayer for Lovelenica’s safety gained an increasing hold on her heart. By now, she even felt an impulsive urge to follow and search for Lovelenica.

It didn’t matter if she didn’t know the exact direction of Lovelenica’s pursuit; as long as she followed the path of her departure, she was bound to find her eventually.

However, Lucia had an injured Attestor and a magic-depleted Imeline by her side. She couldn’t abandon her childhood friends, who were virtually defenseless, to act on such an impulse.

In fact, Imeline and Attestor, resting beside Lucia, also harbored some concern for Lovelenica’s safety.

Despite their lingering suspicion and distrust towards Lovelenica, it was undeniable that Lovelenica had saved them multiple times during this Monster Hunt Exercise.

Lovelenica’s decision to have them acquire defensive Holy Artifacts had been profoundly correct. Indeed, after the two previous Impure-level Incomplete Bloodkin incidents, a hidden storm had been brewing within the Arcadia Kingdom.

If there had only been a single wave of black-clad figures, or merely the Vampire’s attack, Imeline and Attestor might still have linked it to Lovelenica.

However, with two forces arriving simultaneously, even attempting to harm Lucia, the Saintess, the likelihood of Lovelenica being involved became significantly smaller.

This indicated that more than one faction was targeting Lucia. If Lovelenica truly intended to harm Lucia, she wouldn’t simultaneously dispatch two different forces to attack Lucia, only for them to hinder each other.

Such a strategy would clearly be counterproductive.

Therefore, this could only mean Lovelenica truly possessed foresight and a deep understanding of the kingdom’s internal situation and shifting dynamics.

Moreover, if Lovelenica were secretly manipulating things, why would she intervene when the black-clad figures were moments away from killing them?

This area was precisely Lovelenica’s protected zone. If she truly intended to target Lucia and her companions, she could have simply stood idly by, allowing the black-clad figures to kill them. Yet, she had appeared at the crucial moment to save them.

Lovelenica’s attacks against those black-clad figures had been utterly unrestrained.

To slaughter a group of third and fourth-tier professionals merely to earn their trust would have been far too steep a price to pay.

Furthermore, the anger Lovelenica displayed during the battle, and her urgency to cover their retreat, seemed entirely genuine to them.

There was no doubt that, in this battle, Lovelenica had genuinely intended to protect them.

Consequently, Imeline and Attestor were also somewhat worried for Lovelenica. This didn’t signify a newfound trust in her; they were simply judging the situation objectively, believing Lovelenica had no ulterior motives in this particular fight.

Nevertheless, Lovelenica’s various actions during the battle did cause a slight wavering in both Imeline and Attestor.

Attestor gradually began to believe there might indeed be deeper reasons for Lovelenica’s previous treatment of Lucia. She resolved to observe Lovelenica carefully in the days to come.

Imeline, though similarly swayed, found her thoughts immediately dismissed by the clues she had uncovered in the orphanage.

The Crimson Family was undoubtedly engaged in inhumane conspiracies, and Lovelenica was a member of that family. Could Lovelenica truly be ignorant of these matters?

Lovelenica was absolutely not innocent; behind her changed attitude toward Lucia, there must lie an unspeakable secret.

After this battle, all three women had formed their own distinct opinions of Lovelenica. Yet, without exception, all three now wished for Lovelenica’s safe return.

Just as the trio waited with growing impatience, that silver figure finally appeared at the edge of the night.

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