Chapter 121 2: The Frigid Pass
The sound of dozens of horses clacking against the ground as the huge caravan of several hundred people was moving towards the north.
Upon leaving the city, the Lady held a grand farewell and showed to the populace a grand show of Princess Gwendolyn being alive and well, and she was returning to the capital to clear her name.
This was because she was accepted as the Hero's Knight, proving that even Celestia didn't believe she was truly impure!
It was all propaganda, but at least the people in this large city will now believe that the goddess has accepted the Princess and won't treat her like a monster or like some unwanted woman anymore.
Lucifer was sitting on a horse because there was a chance of danger when it came to the first obstacle several miles north bein the winding and misty mountain region that was named The Frigid Pass and was home to the game's first random boss encounter that was not related to the plot.
A frost giant dwells in the huge mountains to the south of the capital city, and this pass was where many trade caravans vanished mysteriously, according to the Lady and many of the nobles who would choose to take the gap of Mohan a safer route.
I wish I could cuddle with Gwen and the girls... even with my vampire body, it's cold...
Beside him were Layna and Estella, though, so it wasn't all bad, as the two women were wrapped in special woollen cloaks and robes that hid most of their skin; he didn't mind—just the company was enough.
Lucifer leaned to the side and jabbed her side before speaking with an excited tone. "Estella, do you think we'll see the giant this time?" He joked, unaware that he was tempting fate, who already seemed to have a bone to pick with him.
"Master... I doubt it... we have over two hundred knights and hundreds of soldiers... giants are solitary creatures, and the cold bothers them..." Estella answered as Layna nodded, shivering slightly as Lucifer sighed, wondering when this trip would end as Gwen rode with Irina and Marina in a carriage at the front safely.
The weather was gloomy, and the clouds blocked the sun, causing him to relax and enjoy the cold breeze—with nothing else to do, he really wished they could just ride ahead with his horses galloping faster to see if there was anything to enjoy on this trip... other than listening to the neigh of beasts, the squawk of the divine birds or the clattering of hooves wearing steel shoes.
Suddenly, Lucifer saw Layna shiver as Estella frowned; she was a vampire, so the cold didn't affect her, but Layna was human, so she was susceptible to the elements.
"Layna, are you alright? Do you want to ride in a carriage?" Lucifer asked as she shook her head stubbornly, refusing to show weakness...
"Master... it is fine—everything is fine; I am just a little cold..." Layna denied as Lucifer looked at Estella, who shrugged her shoulders before he began riding closer to Layna and hugging her from behind as her cheeks reddened.
"Master!? W-what are you doing?!" She exclaimed in shock as Lucifer smiled.
"Keeping you warm—come on, jump on my horse, and I'll help control the reigns."
"Y-yes..."
She nodded, hugging, leaning against him from in front as the paladin began to blush, feeling Lucifer's hard chest press against her back while Estella watched with a teasing face and cute smile as Layna began to calm down...
As they rode forward, they heard the knights discussing rumours and things happening in the capital city, and most were about Gwen, Irina, and the half-sister of Gwen apparently taking handsome knights into the castle before they were ever seen again.
Layna shivered as Lucifer hugged her waist, patting her head as Estella smiled, seeing the blushing paladin begin to calm down as the cold breeze blew against them...
"Master..."
Woosh!
"Nneeeeghhhh.....!"
A horse was smashed into the distance, its body like meat paste as a huge hand swiped past Lucifer and would have killed Layna if not for her jumping on his horse earlier...
"GIANT!" Lucifer shouted, trying to make people aware that it wasn't that the giants were bothered by the cold and fog! It's the opposite; the frost giant pale fur and skin cannot be seen in the fog!
Everyone panicked as Layna clung to Lucifer; Estella used her horse to rush forward and warn Gwen, who ordered everyone to prepare for battle...
Shit... it's a level 100 random boss... in the game.
Lucifer cursed before his eyes began to glow, not looking for the actual Giant but the blood.... the Giant's blood flowed extremely cold and slowly, a purple colour forming millions of veins and arteries with a huge heart... but he found it.
"FORWARD TO THE LEFT! SECOND CARRIAGE!" Lucifer shouted, galloping forward as Layna clung to him tightly, with Estella rushing back to him, her horse panting and tired as Gwen exited her carriage and stood on top of it with Irina and Marina as the knights surrounded the carriage to protect it...
"MASTER?!" Layna shouted as Lucifer charged straight into the foggy mist towards a certain direction—his eyes glowing with crimson energy as he channelled blood detection to locate the Giant's heart as a long, sharp, bloody lance formed in his hand—he then hurled it towards the hand that reached for the horse instead of its heart...
Slicing through the air, the bloody lance tore off the Giant's index finger,
The Giant roared, feeling its hand pierced by the lance as Lucifer rode closer... The force of the howling wings pressured his body as they rushed as fast as the horse could gallop, while Estella rushed beside him with Layna shocked as Gwen ordered the knights to charge forward and attack the location as Lucifer stopped the horse.
"Layna—stay on the horse!" He shouted before jumping into the fog and running forward, with Estella following closely as Layna shivered, watching him vanish in the white mist...
"Master!?" Layna shouted as Estella pulled the reigns, stopping her from following as the entire caravan pulled to the right away from the Giant's hand and began to rush forward.
****
The Giant roared, clutching its finger as a young man appeared, wielding a black spear... stepping on the peaks of a mountain and looking at the gigantic beast with crimson eyes...
It was 15 meters tall—its pale grey fur covered in frost, and it had a muscular body with blue eyes that glowed with malice. Lucifer rushed forward, activating vampiric bite and serpent strike, lunging forward as the Giant raised its foot to smash him.
Lucifer pierced the ground—the spear piercing deep into the frozen earth as he rolled to the side, dodging the Giant's foot as he tossed another blood spear, as if his attack was a feint, stabbing into the Giant's heel...n-/o(.v-.e(-l-(b)-I.-n
Lucifer rushed forward, jumping onto the beast's leg and using a vampiric drain and full burst, drinking the Giant's cold blood and entering Lord Form... as his hair lengthened and eyes grew sinister, he used his black spear to penetrate the hard flesh to get a solid footing, as the Giant began stomping around.
His body felt like it was burning as his muscles tore—the veins bulged as Lucifer gritted his teeth and forced himself to move, ignoring the pain as the Giant's blood flowed through his body... it was cold... icy cold, but it tasted strangely delicious...
Using serpent strike, Lucifer lunged forward, piercing the Giant's inner thigh as his spear shattered, and he began falling—but Lucifer jumped, grabbing the Giant's fur and climbing as Estella appeared, using the ice to launch herself upwards and grab Lucifer's arm as he climbed...
"Master... why did you rush into battle?!" Estella shouted as Lucifer pointed at the heart, which was above them by 30 yards, as the Giant roared and tried to shake them off...
"To hunt a menace that would surely bring more credit to my wife's rise to the throne!"
He grabbed Estella's dagger—jumped onto the Giant's testicles, and stabbed it deeply with a serpent strike, like a wasp stinging a man's face after being angered—his hand tore apart the poor Giant's large manhood and testicles, turning them into minced meat causing the beast to roar and fall on its knees...
Dropping from the crotch of the Giant, Lucifer activated his bloodline...
A crimson light shone from his body as his raven wings shot him up, as high as the giant face... eyes filled with tears and pain, looking at the small creature like a menace...
Lucifer smiled... before rushing down with both claws extended with sharp, deadly blades... the Giant raised its hand to swat him as Estella appeared, using ice to freeze its wrist as he plunged his hand into the Giant's eye socket, grabbing its eyeballs and tearing them from its skull as he laughed hysterically...
"AHHHHHHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!"
The Giant roared, rolling on the ground as Lucifer dropped from the sky, landing on the beast's neck—using a vampiric drain, Lucifer drank its blood... as the Giant fell on its back, Lucifer bit into the beast's neck, drinking its blood as Estella watched in shock as Lucifer's body transformed...
His hair turned argent silver as his eyes turned golden... the blood of the Frost Giant was rich and strong... unlike anything he had ever tasted... it was like ambrosia, the food of the gods, and his body was absorbing it like a sponge as the Giant's body began to dry up before the soft skin and muscles were weak enough for his claws to slice through like butter...
Lucifer decapitated the Giant's head... as if it was nothing as silvery blood oozed down his lips, and he seemed to have grown a few centimetres... it seemed that drinking the blood of certain special species would change a vampire's body forever... luckily, Lucifer was immune to the holy attributes of the Giant... otherwise, his body would suffer severe damage...
Estella watched with wide eyes, dropping to the ground as Lucifer landed beside her, smiling as she rushed into his arms, hugging him tightly as the caravan finally left the mist and looked back, seeing the huge corpse of the frost giant... and Lucifer who was flying while carrying the severed head in one arm and Estella in the other.
Gwen jumped down from her carriage—Irina and Marina beside her as she rushed over, Layna riding the horse with tears in her eyes as Estella hugged Lucifer tightly.
"MASTER?! WHAT HAPPENED?!" Layna shouted as Gwen looked at Lucifer with shock and worry...
"Husband... Estella—are you alright?" Gwen asked as Irina and Marina hugged Lucifer tightly...
"Master saved us... the Giant nearly smashed Layna, but he attacked it and drew its attention... I rushed to warn Lady Gwendolyn... and he charged forward alone to slay the beast!"
The knights were stunned... an existence that had plagued their kingdom for hundreds of years... their brothers in arms lost in the hundreds at least trying to discover the enemy...
A sudden cheer sounded from both the knights and the nobles and merchants who saw the huge corpse as money.