Science/Magic

"Are you alright, master?" Regina asked from behind me.

I nodded. "Yeah, don't worry. How is Liu Ying?"

"The demon is alright, she just suffered a few fractures, but with her body regeneration she will be alright after a bit of rest."

Bloed nodded. "That is good." He then looked at the lion for a moment before cutting its chest with his saber.

"Master?" Regina was taken aback.

"I'm searching for its mana core." Bloed explained. "It's the mana core of an A-Rank monster. I don't know when I can get another one like this."

"But you just got a demigod-level mana core from the bird."

Bloed turned towards Regina with a helpless expression. "Well, I can't start experimenting directly with it, can I? I'll start with lower-level mana cores and slowly find the best way to use it. Only that way can I get the best use of the demigod-level mana core."

"… I see. I understand. But master, do you know what you are going to use the mana core for?"

Bloed smiled wryly. "I just have a fuzzy idea. To be honest, I'm not completely sure about what I can and I can't do with it." He then pressed the saber down and opened the lion's chest.

But when Bloed finished cutting the lion's chest open, something jumped out of it.

"Careful, master!" Regina extended her hand and cut whatever the thing was. Bloed also managed to react and leaned his head aside.

*SCEEEEEECHHHHH!!!!*

The thing let out a cry of rage. A tentacle extended from it, forming a spike-like appendage that pierced towards Bloed's neck.

However, Bloed's reaction speed was boosted by his eyes and ESP ability. He hurriedly rolled aside and swung his sword, cutting the appendage into two.

Only until now Bloed managed to get a clear look at the creature. It was a black mass-like thing with strange appendages growing from its body.

The mass-like thing had been cut into two by Regina, but the two parts combined again. Even the appendage Bloed cut seemed to return to the creature.

"What is that!?"

"Master, be careful. It's just as powerful as the lion." Regina warned with a wary tone.

Bloed nodded. He could feel that the mana fluctuations coming from that thing were equivalent to an A-Grade monster.

And if that thing was inside the lion all the time...

"Wait, could it be the creature that has been controlling the horde all this time?"

Regina thought for a moment before nodding. "Perhaps."

Until now, Bloed had never gotten a look at the controller. But seeing this monster now, he got the feeling it was it.

The disgusting mass-like thing twisted its appendages eerily. Bloed could see that it seemed enraged.

Then, suddenly, a mouth filled with serrated teeth appeared on it.

*SCEEEEEECHHHHH!!!!*

With another cry, the disgusting creature jumped towards Bloed. Bloed reflexively used his saber to deflect it, but the creature did not bother to avoid him. Instead, it was cut into two while both parts created spikes that pierced towards Bloed's face.

"!!!"

Bloed expression changed. Tito hurriedly created an energy shield, but the creature's spikes pierced through it and continued straight to Bloed's face.

But Bloed was not fighting alone.

*Swing!*

With a sharp sound, the spikes were completely cut.

However, Regina was not content with that. She brandished her blades tens of times in less than one second until cutting the creature into countless pieces.

"Ha!"

Piece after piece of the black mass fell to the ground powerlessly.

Bloed looked at that scene stunned.

"Say, Regina. You used your entire strength, right?"

"... I did."

"But you were not supposed to use your true strength unless it was strictly necessary."

Regina looked at Bloed indifferently. "I judge master was in danger, so I acted."

Bloed was not buying it. Although the situation was certainly dangerous, he thought he could have managed for himself, at least for a while.

But then, Bloed thought of something.

"Could it be, you were afraid?"

Regina's eyes turned ice-cold. "What are you talking about, master?"

Bloed pointed to the small bits of the creature twisting on the ground. "Look, it's regenerating."

Regina instantly extended her hand and shot a powerful plasma ray, incinerating it completely.

Bloed was stupefied.

"Hey Regina, that…"

"Master, we'll never speak about this again, understood?"

"U-Understood."

For some reason, something in Regina's gaze scared Bloed.

'So even someone as powerful as Regina fears disgusting things, huh.' Bloed smirked inwardly.

"Anyway, that monster was unexpected. Such a shame, it even ate the lion's mana core." Bloed shook his head in disappointment.

But suddenly, he thought of something.

"Hey Regina, that creature…"

"Hmm?"

"… Could it have been a devourer?"

Regina was startled. Her face instantly turned grave as she recalled the creature's shape and means of attack.

She then searched in her database for information about the Devourers, but in the end, she failed to find anything related to a creature like this.

"… I think not." Regina finally shook her head.

Bloed sighed in relief. In fact, he was almost 100% sure it was not a devourer, but even the slightest possibility that it could be was enough to chill his spine.

Now that Regina had denied his suspicion, he was relieved. "You are right, thinking about it, a devourer would have directly assimilated the creature instead of controlling it."

Devourers were known for many things, such as their extreme rate of reproduction and their ability to consume energy and souls, but mind control was not one of them.

Bloed could not help but think that he was being too paranoid.

"There is nothing else to see here. Let's go, it's time to leave this place." He then walked towards Liu Ying followed by Regina.

Liu Ying was in a semi-conscious state. She moaned painfully when she saw Bloed and Regina coming.

But when Bloed was about to lift her, Regina moved faster than him and carried her brusquely on her arms before putting her on Leto's back.

Bloed smiled wryly, but he did not say anything. Anyway, Regina's possessiveness was not something new.

Half a day later, they finally left the mountain range.

...

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