The werewolf leaped backward, and the massive boulder beneath him began to tremble violently.

As if pulled by some unseen force, the rocks floated, rearranged, and finally merged into a colossal stone giant.

BOOM!

Without hesitation, the stone giant slammed its fist down, the sheer force shaking the entire space.

Then, countless rock spikes attacked in all directions, leaving no blind spots in the hall.

Covering himself with flames, Chi Yan shattered the spikes with a single punch while shielding Bai Cheng as they retreated toward the cave entrance.

Since the stone giant attacked indiscriminately, blocking the exit and letting the enemies fight each other was clearly the wisest choice.

Just as Bai Cheng had anticipated, the massive stone giant couldn’t squeeze through the narrow cave entrance to pursue them. Instead, it turned around and charged at the werewolf.

This development clearly took the werewolf by surprise.

"Mere offerings!" he roared.

Realizing that he had no escape, he had no choice but to fight the stone giant.

But the battle ended absurdly fast, far from the mutually destructive clash one might expect.

The werewolf moved like a phantom, relentlessly directing flames at the stone giant’s forehead, forcing it to raise its thick arms in defense.

Seizing the opportunity, the werewolf used the giant’s arm as a springboard, lunging upward and slashing at the center of its head.

The next moment, the stone giant crumbled apart before collapsing with a deafening crash, filling the cramped space with billowing dust.

"Instakilled?" Bai Cheng was stunned.

But before she could react further, the thick smoke surged toward the cave entrance, obscuring her vision.

A foul stench hit her nose, but before she could process it, Chi Yan blasted a torrent of flames toward the smoke.

The werewolf, who had turned into black mist, rematerialized and crashed heavily to the ground.

Chi Yan strode forward, sweeping his arm to disperse the lingering smoke in the cave.

By now, the stone giant had shattered into scattered rubble, and the werewolf lay sprawled on the ground, his eyes locked hatefully on Chi Yan.

"Kill me, and the Werewolf Church will hunt you to the ends of the earth!"

His voice was hoarse, his fangs bared, still clinging to threats.

Hearing this, Bai Cheng finally understood that this werewolf belonged to a native faction in this world.

But what about the trophy mission’s boss?

Her gaze swept over the rubble strewn across the hall.

Huh, looks like it’s already dealt with.

But then, she saw the stones shifting again.

Bai Cheng’s eyes sharpened. She knew she hadn’t imagined it. Could the stone giant regenerate?

"Chi Yan, finish him," she ordered coldly.

Who cares about being hunted? The train’s always moving anyway.

Besides, the so-called ’Werewolf Church’ wouldn’t actually let them go even if they let this werewolf escape. Only an idiot would do that.

At her words, Chi Yan and the werewolf moved simultaneously.

One fled, and the other pursued.

But Chi Yan was prepared this time. He wouldn’t let the other party escape again.

A surge of flames blasted the werewolf back into his humanoid form, and Chi Yan’s massive clawed hand speared toward his chest.

Splat!

Blood sprayed as the werewolf’s pupils constricted.

He tried to resist, but flames erupted across his body. Soon, his agonized screams echoed throughout the cave.

Meanwhile, Bai Cheng approached the stone giant’s shattered head. Recalling how the werewolf had targeted its forehead, she drew the Blade of Severance.

The giant’s tough skin parted like tofu under the blade. Then, Bai Cheng felt the tip hit a solid crystal, unable to continue forward.

She dug it out effortlessly. It was the same one the werewolf had dropped earlier.

At the same time, the stone rubble stopped trembling, falling into complete stillness.

Bai Cheng frowned as she stood. "So... where’s the trophy?"

"Young Lady, he’s carrying something," Chi Yan suddenly spoke up.

The werewolf’s body was now a charred husk, the air thick with the stench of burning flesh and roasted meat.

However, one object remained untouched amid the flames.

At Bai Cheng’s glance, Chi Yan retrieved it. It was a palm-sized, irregularly shaped stone, perfectly matching the Altar of Spoils’ indentation.

"Looks like this is the trophy."

Bai Cheng waited until the werewolf was fully reduced to ashes, but no other items remained in the empty hall.

"Let’s go."

They left the chamber and eventually found a blue treasure chest deeper in the caverns.

By then, the glow from Bai Cheng’s pinky ring had completely faded, signaling that no more loot remained.

"This place is a maze," Bai Cheng muttered, frowning. "Without the ring, we’d waste ages here."

"Young Lady, I could sense that stone giant was originally Elite Rank," Chi Yan mused, holding the trophy. "But without this, its power was greatly weakened."

"Then why did the werewolf want it?" Bai Cheng was puzzled. The trophy should’ve been something created by the system.

Then again, this trophy mission was far too difficult for the average survivor.

Now, she was even more curious about what this trophy would unlock.

"Wait... the trophy can be stolen. You don’t actually have to kill the stone giant..."

Soon, they found the exit and left the Frozen Caverns behind.

Outside, the world was still shrouded in darkness, the blizzard raging.

Chi Yan transformed into a lion, carrying Bai Cheng as they leaped down the ridge, vanishing into the night.

Upon returning to the train, Bai Cheng immediately placed the trophy on the altar.

The indentation matched perfectly, merging seamlessly. The displayed information updated instantly.

[Name: Altar of Spoils]

[Current Trophies: 1/2]

[Route Guidance: Multiplayer Trial Station (2600 km away)]

[Prerequisites: Complete Pioneer Trial I]

"It’s inside the station?" Bai Cheng was surprised, though this actually saved her time.

Then, she turned to the new notifications on the screen.

[Congratulations! You have slain the magical beast, Giant Stone Golem. Gained 10 EXP!]

[Congratulations! Your employee Chi Yan has slain the Blue Flame Werewolf. Gained 1 EXP!]

[Your level has increased! All attributes +1!] 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

[Congratulations! You have completed the Trophy Mission (1/2)!]

On the control panel below, two faintly glowing magic crystals and two blue employee cards lay scattered.

Bai Cheng wasn’t surprised. She had expected this.

"Then... what is this thing?" She examined the strange crystal taken from the werewolf, looking up its information on the screen.

[Name: Eternal Heart]

[Quality: Eternal]

[Description: Connects to any legendary creature or Life Artifact, enabling their ascension to Eternal Rank!]

[Evaluation: Absolutely unreasonable!]

Bai Cheng’s pupils shrank.

"Damn—!"