The man was reflecting.
After last night’s battle and today’s reawakening,
the natural giant should have gained further enhancement in ability, possessing overwhelming power, along with substantial improvements in self-healing and the hardness of its body.
Even if it encountered the original text holder, it should have been able to hold on for a while.
But what was the result now?
In just over a minute, the stone giant completely crumbled under Ronald’s playful tactics, its blue crystal core seized in his hand.
This man was undoubtedly a holder of the original text.
And a very powerful one at that!
Surely, within Springs’s official forces, the original text holders shouldn’t be in the church area...
The belief sustaining him gradually dimmed.
After a night of battle and the torment from the investigator, the man could no longer hold on; his eyes darkened as he lay in the ruins’ pit, on the verge of complete unconsciousness.
On the other side of the square’s ruins,
Ronald held the core of the stone giant.
After some effort in dismantling the stone giant, this core served as today’s spoils of war.
Holding the core in his hand,
Ronald could still feel the magical power fluctuating within it.
If he were to throw this core on the ground, it probably wouldn’t take long for the stone giant to reappear.
The enemy’s beacon of hope,
indeed contained some formidable techniques.
"Mr. Ronald, thank you for your hard work."
Seeing the battle concluded, someone from the church immediately attended to the man in the ruins, while the head investigator, who had been worried about disturbing Ronald’s battle, approached to start a conversation.
"If it weren’t for you, it would have been much more troublesome for us to deal with this thing today."
Ronald nodded, then directly handed over the stone giant’s core.
"It’s nothing, I was nearby so I offered a hand."
"Be careful with this core; if it comes into contact with the right environment, that stone giant might well make a comeback."
The head investigator took the core and immediately proceeded with caution.
Ronald looked around at the shambles, knowing there wouldn’t be any news for him and turned to leave.
"I’ll go read a book then."
"If there’s anything else, you can have someone from the church call for me; I can come over quickly."
Exiting the ruins of the square, Ronald wasn’t far away when someone caught up with him.
It was the nun he had encountered at the monastery.
Throughout the entire course of the battle, the nun who brought Ronald had been out of sight; only now did she reappear.
"Mr. Ronald, thank you very much."
"It was the least I could do," Ronald nodded and then walked with the nun in the direction of the Tri-Spirit Monastery.
On their return journey, the nun started speaking again:
"Mr. Ronald, my church has suffered the theft of an important saint’s relic."
Was this to explain more deeply the events that had transpired before?
If it wasn’t for needing to ask something of him, then mentioning this now would have been unnecessary.
Ronald immediately sensed the underlying implication.
He did not mind lending a hand to the church that had helped him, so he followed the conversation:
"I just heard that man mention Saint Catherine... So the item stolen from you is the relic of Saint Catherine?"
"Yes, the Sword of Saint Catherine," the nun immediately nodded in confirmation.
Ronald also furrowed his brow:
"That’s indeed a grave matter..."
In the legends of the Church, Catherine was a princess of a kingdom from a distant era who took up a longsword to lead her people against the barbarians threatening her subjects and their faith.
After accomplishing her great deeds, she was granted the title of a saint.
The story dates back to the Dark Age.
If it’s a treasure that has been passed down from that era, the Sword of Saint Catherine is undoubtedly not something simple.
Seeing the expression on Ronald’s face, the nun continued:
"In fact, the relic of the saint cannot be used by anyone at present. It’s said that only by chanting the maxims inscribed on the blade, will it recognize the holder as worthy to wield it."
"Did the enemy choose to take this sword because they can recognize the maxims?" Ronald immediately asked, "The Church itself cannot use it, but the thieves are confident they can?"
The nun thought seriously:
"Saint Catherine had family and friends during her life. If someone has inherited some secrets from their family lineage up to today, then that is also a possibility. That’s why we regard this matter with skepticism."
Ronald continued to inquire:
"Then you must at least know what the sword’s power is, right?"
This time the nun’s response was even more decisive.
"It’s the human heart. After defeating an enemy with the Sword of Saint Catherine, it releases a powerful psychological suggestion, controlling those around to adopt a submissive attitude towards the wielder."
Ronald’s expression became blank for a moment.
With just that brief introduction, he understood how exaggerated the relic’s power was.
The thought of what could happen if someone were to possess this power was unimaginable.
"The effect of the Sword of Saint Catherine..."
"It’s that psychological suggestion, don’t tell me it’s permanent."
"Of course not," the nun shook her head in denial, then continued in a calm tone, "If a person under its control is isolated, the strongest effect lasts about a month before starting to fade, and it’s completely gone in about five years."
Were all things from the Dark Age this outrageous?
Although the nun spoke lightly, the implications were truly terrifying upon closer consideration.
Psychological suggestion isn’t like a mage casting a fireball to hit someone and then it’s over with one shot. If many people in a group are influenced at the same time, the atmosphere they create in maintaining the status quo significantly prolongs the duration of the psychological suggestion.
This isn’t just the Sword of Saint Catherine.
It’s essentially the Sword of Yuri, a brainwashing divine artifact!
Noticing the emotion in Ronald’s eyes, the nun immediately added:
"Of course, the Sword of Saint Catherine’s interference is much harder on casters. For an original text holder like you, the effect I mentioned earlier would definitely not reach such an extent."
So it has an effect nonetheless?
Ronald couldn’t help but scratch his head.
Recalling everything that had happened that morning, he continued:
"None of the monks from the hermitage were around today, and I didn’t see any original text holders from the Church or the Investigative Bureau in the square just now. So, they were all pulled away for other matters today?"
"You’re completely right," the nun acknowledged without hesitation.
Then, stopping in the pathway of the church area, the religious officer turned to face Ronald and continued in a very serious tone:
"Mr. Ronald, this request may be a bit much."
"But under today’s circumstances, I hope to get your assistance."