Ambuscade!

[Battle-Mage Conversion]

The Caster abandons their Arcane knowledge and exquisite perception of the magic net, forcibly distorting their physical limits to gain a terrifying physique and combat instinct comparable to a warrior of the same level for a short period.

However, after the spell ends, the forcibly boosted power vanishes like smoke, often leaving the Caster in extreme weakness, or even permanently damaging their spellcasting ability.

For Agnos, her Stone Statue body has no such side effects.

That broken Stone Statue body, every crack on it erupts with dazzling Arcane light. The cold stone that originally formed her body seems to have been infused with the berserk energy of lava.

Her form seems to have expanded a bit. At the site of her broken left arm, Arcane energy and death aura intertwine, forming a shadowy arm that constantly shifts its shape, barely replacing the missing limb.

She stooped and picked up the longsword Roland had dropped not far away.

The Weapon forged from common iron in her hands seemed to feel that surging power, and the blade emitted a faint hum.

At this moment, she was no longer a lofty Caster, but had completely transformed into a pure killing machine.

Under the attribute conversion, her Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution all received massive boosts, and combat skills integrated into her soul as naturally as breathing.

At this moment, Agnos, though weakened.

If judged by warrior ranks, her base attributes after using Battle-Mage Conversion were still close to Gold rank.

"Come on! Let me see how much longer your false god can protect you!" Agnos let out an inhuman roar. Her stone legs stomped hard on the ground, her speed so fast that she was unrecognizable from the clumsy Stone Statue she was before.

The longsword in her hand was no longer an elegant flourish of a mage, but had become a blade that reaped lives. Every swing carried the might to split mountains and crack rocks, yet it also contained the mage's precise grasp of angles and timing.

Baroque's expression became extremely grim. He could clearly feel that the "mage" before him had completely become another being.

He roared and firmly shielded himself with his Kite Shield, the Rising Sun Emblem on the shield's surface shining in unison with the [Shield of Defense] golden runes swirling around him.

That pure physical output caused the golden runes flowing on his [Shield of Defense] to flicker violently, as if they might collapse at any moment.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!" The longsword and battle axe collided dozens of times in an instant, each impact erupting with piercing metal friction sounds and splashing sparks.

Agnos's petrified body held a significant advantage in close-quarters combat.

She ignored the chops that could tear steel apart, letting Baroque's battle axe leave harmless white marks and tiny stone chips on her body. Yet, every counterattack she made forced Baroque into a frantic defense.

Each violent impact sent tremors through Baroque's arms, causing the golden light on his Kite Shield to flash wildly. The shield's surface was dented by repeated blows, the sturdy ironwood groaned under the strain, and even the black steel strips on the edges began to deform slightly.

The left arm formed by shadow, though unable to inflict substantial damage, could skillfully block and restrain, allowing her intact right arm to focus on fatal attacks.

Baroque was gradually losing ground.

His [Judgment] power seemed somewhat insufficient against the opponent's berserk strength, and the light of his [Shield of Defense] grew dimmer and dimmer, like dying embers.

After enduring another heavy sword chop from the stone monster, the Kite Shield let out a mournful cry. The last magic aura on the shield's surface completely extinguished, and a hideous crack spread from the center of the shield.

His chainmail was damaged in multiple places, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his breathing was as heavy as a worn-out bellows. "No... if this continues... we'll both be finished here!" A sliver of desperate resolve flashed in Baroque's eyes.

He quickly glanced at Freya, who had fallen to the ground due to the battle's aftermath and was still firmly bound by the [Human Stasis Spell]. He had made up his mind.

He violently parried Agnos's sword with his battle axe, disregarding his own exposed defenses, and gathered all his divine power onto the Platinum Holy Emblem in his hand! "Lord of Dawn Randall! Hear the plea of your humble servant!" Baroque's voice carried a resolute tragedy. "I offer my life to become a holy flame that burns away all blasphemy!"

The Holy Emblem in his hand suddenly erupted with light even more dazzling than the sun.

This was no ordinary [Blazing Radiance], but a destructive Divine Art from Baroque, far exceeding his limits, fueled by the sacrifice of his life force and soul.

A pillar of golden light, condensed to the extreme, erupted from the Holy Emblem like divine punishment, exploding violently less than a foot in front of Baroque!

RUMBLE--!!!

The deafening explosion swept through the entire Graveyard.

The moment the explosion occurred, Baroque's vision went black, and he lost consciousness. His body was thrown backward like a doll discarded by a giant, smashing heavily against a distant stone wall. The "crack" of breaking bones was clearly audible, his survival uncertain.

At the center of the explosion, Agnos took the full brunt of this near mutually destructive attack.

Her hardened Stone Statue body trembled violently in the holy Golden Flame, emitting groaning sounds of unbearable strain, as if it would fall apart at any moment.

About ten minutes later, perhaps longer.

The aftermath of the explosion finally subsided, and the choking dust gradually settled.

Agnos stood unsteadily on the spot. Her stone body could no longer be described as "damaged"; it was practically a pile of rickety junk, covered in huge cracks and scorched marks.

The shadowy arm on her left had long since vanished without a trace, and her right arm was more than half broken, with only a few twisted Metal Skeletons barely holding it together.

Those hideous cracks were not cold stone, but faintly revealed nebula-like slowly flowing Arcane energy, abyss-like dead Dark Erosion aura, and some chillingly eerie fluctuations.

"Cough... cough... damn... mortal..." Agnos let out raspy, intermittent breaths. The ghostly blue Soul Fire flickered violently in her eye sockets, as if it would be blown away by a storm at any second.

She was clearly severely injured, and the [Battle-Mage Conversion] state had long since ended.

The Stone Statue turned its broken head, its gaze locking onto the blonde girl lying helplessly nearby amidst the ruins, thrown down by the explosion's shockwave.

Agnos took staggering steps, dropping small stone chips and dust with every stride.

"Hmph... her face... is acceptable..." Her voice was intermittent. "Her figure... is a bit lacking... but, barely... enough to be my... vessel..."

Just as her stone palm, covered in cracks, was about to touch Freya's soft cheek--

A figure as agile as a lurking panther suddenly darted out silently from the pitch-black shadow behind Agnos.

It was a black-haired man wearing form-fitting Leather Armor, his face smudged with a bit of dust, but a smug "mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind" smile on his lips, looking quite punchable.

He gripped the longsword in his hand, its hilt tightly wrapped with a damp, coarse cloth that still dripped water.

At this moment, in his hand, it was less a sword and more like a heavy bludgeon, specifically designed for a surprise attack.

The man poured all his strength into his arm, aiming for Agnos's unguarded, cracked back of the head.

Then--

With all his might, he delivered a solid, heavy blow!

"THUD--!!!"