“Let’s grind for points first. Once we have enough, I’ll see if I can exchange for a secret art suited for absorbing blood cores.”
She didn’t want to rush something that required repeated experimentation.
Absorbing blood cores wasn’t something to hurry—better to take it slow and figure out the solution methodically, keeping her mind calm.
It was like encountering a tough problem on an exam; the more you panicked, the more mistakes you made.
Lorevil said calmly.
Fini didn’t press further and threw herself back into the hunt.
During the process, Lorevil would transfer small amounts of purified blood qi to Fini, helping her stabilize her realm.
Fini’s talent was far from weak to begin with—she just lacked the nourishment of pure blood qi.
With the help, her progress became noticeably rapid.
Time flew by.
Before they knew it, the crimson mist thickened, and the blood beasts Lorevil and Fini slaughtered grew more numerous.
The numbers on Lorevil’s points token kept jumping, accumulating a considerable amount of points.
Seeing that it was almost time to leave, Lorevil pulled out her communication blood crystal.
“Noxia, I’ll be back on time tonight. Save dinner for me.”
“Got it.”
After replying, Noxia began bustling around the estate.
Fini swung her moon blade to cut down a blood beast that had ambushed them, then braced her knees and caught her breath.
“Strange… why am I so tired today?”
Usually, slaughtering this many low-rank blood beasts didn’t exhaust her like this.
Today, she just couldn’t find her energy, and her lower abdomen kept pulsing with heat.
“It looks like Fini’s about to awaken to the third order. The blood qi in her body is surging against her bottleneck, preparing for a breakthrough.”
Lorevil glanced at Fini and said knowingly.
The blood qi fluctuation around Fini was very active—even a little chaotic—showing clear signs of pushing against the second-order bottleneck.
“Really?”
Fini was overjoyed, a shallow dimple forming on her pretty face as she excitedly grabbed Lorevil’s hand.
“I’m finally reaching the third order!”
Lorevil wasn’t too surprised, given how well Fini had performed these past few days—she deserved the breakthrough.
Still, seeing her longtime friend succeed, Lorevil was genuinely happy for her.
Moreover, Fini was indeed a very reliable teammate.
If Fini managed to advance to the third order and boost her strength significantly, Lorevil figured she’d probably team up with her more and more in the future.
“Well, in that case, let’s put in the extra effort. All the violent blood energy we get from now on goes to you.”
Lorevil mused for a moment, then spoke.
“Lorevil, you’re the best.”
Fini was deeply moved and hugged Lorevil, then flashed an awkward grin.
“But, Lorevil… we’ve been grinding for so long now. How about we take a break? My feet are so sore, I can’t walk anymore.”
Fini looked at Lorevil with pitiful eyes, putting on a coaxing act.
Lorevil had no choice but to agree. After all, Fini was her good sister.
Seeing Lorevil relent, the pitiful girl’s face lit up with joy, a sly glint flickering deep in her eyes.
“Sister Lorevil is the best! So… can you carry me on your back? I can’t hold on anymore.”
With that, the girl stepped forward and draped her arm over Lorevil’s shoulder.
Lorevil had to steady her, letting her lean on her for support.
“I can… but if a blood beast suddenly pops out and takes a bite out of you, don’t blame me.”
Lorevil was speechless.
Fini really knew how to make a fuss.
Still, it was kind of nice every now and then.
Fini’s face paled at the threat, and she quickly scurried away from Lorevil’s side.
Though Lorevil had gotten her way, she felt an inexplicable pang of reluctance.
After walking a bit further, Lorevil heard the sound of flowing water.
“Come on, let’s check it out.”
Exchanging a glance with Fini, the two quickened their steps.
At the water source, they found a waterfall cascading down with overwhelming force—a truly magnificent sight.
“I never thought there’d be scenery this beautiful deep in the outer perimeter of the blood hunting ground.”
Lorevil marveled.
“Yeah. If it weren’t for you, I’d still be stuck at the edge of the perimeter, never able to make it here.”
Fini agreed, gazing at Lorevil with her big, watery eyes full of gratitude.
“There it is—this is a natural resting spot!”
Lorevil’s gaze swept over and landed on a large rock not far away.
Lying on the big rock, she squinted slightly, hands folded behind her head.
A gentle breeze brushed past—utterly pleasant.
Meanwhile, Fini had kicked off her short boots, rolled up her sleeves, and sat by the water’s edge.
Her bare feet splashed lazily in the current, a look of pure enjoyment on her face.
To keep this peaceful moment going, Lorevil set up two or three blood lines around the trees encircling them, replenishing them whenever they depleted.
“Fini, let’s rest a little longer, then head back.”
Lorevil said softly.
“Mm.”
Fini nodded, pulled her feet out of the water, shook off the droplets, and slipped back into her socks and boots.
The girl then walked lightly over to Lorevil.
“But still, I have to thank you today. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be awakening this soon. How about we grab some pastries after school?”
Fini suggested.
Lorevil thought it over. Just some pastries wouldn’t hurt—as long as she got home on time.
After school, at a specialty restaurant.
“Thanks to the pure blood qi you shared with me, I’d have been stuck at the peak of the second order for who knows how long otherwise.”
Fini stabbed a piece of pastry with her fork and stuffed it in her mouth, speaking through a mouthful.
“Tonight, I’m heading back to my family for the third-order awakening. I’m still a bit nervous.”
Her voice trailed off.
Fini set down her utensils, fingers fidgeting nervously around the blood tea before her.
The excitement in her big eyes had faded, replaced by a hint of worry.
“Lorevil… you know how critical the third-order awakening is.”
The tea rippled, reflecting her anxious, tense face.
“That’s right.”
Lorevil took a sip of blood wine, the sour, astringent taste making her frown.
Hearing the response, Fini continued:
“The secret art awakened will directly affect future growth. You have Vivian as your mentor—she can guide your awakening, so your risk is pretty low.”
The girl sighed, clearly voicing a genuine concern.
Her eyes lowered as she spoke softly:
“But I can only awaken through my family’s traditional ritual. Even though the process is the same as the academy’s, without guidance, the chance of failure is extremely high. And the awakened secret art is entirely up to luck—I don’t even know what kind of talent I’ll end up with.”
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