* * *
Kaindel slowly blinked in response to Sehir’s question. His calm, green eyes flickered momentarily.
“That’s right.”
“And you’re sure you pierced his forehead?”
“I stabbed his properly.”
“What about anywhere else? The core could be in his wings or eyes, after all.”
“I stabbed his wings, his eyes, and even his legs. It’d be harder to find a spot I didn’t stab.”
“…That’s impossible. There’s no way a monster doesn’t have a core. It has to be somewhere.”
Sehir’s lips twitched, struggling to contain his confusion.
His expression showed deep contemplation as he processed Kaindel’s words.
It wasn’t hard to understand Sehir’s reaction.
If he hadn’t seen Mother himself, it would be difficult to believe Kaindel’s account of stabbing his everywhere, only for his to survive.
Even I had doubted my own eyes when I saw Mother recovering faster every time he was struck.
As Sehir couldn’t hide his troubled thoughts, Kaindel chuckled softly.
“I told you, I stabbed his everywhere.”
He shrugged, speaking lightly.
“Aside from the core, Mother’s regeneration is a problem too. No matter how much I attacked, he revived instantly, like a parasite.”
Kaindel clenched and opened his fists, as if recalling the sensation of fighting Mother.
He then touched the long scar running down his cheek.
The bleeding had already stopped, leaving only a faint red line.
That scar was the only trace Mother had left on him.
The grotesque bird made of flesh had barely brushed part of his shirt, failing to leave any deeper wounds.
Mother’s wounds would have healed just as quickly.
I recalled the last sight I had of him.
The injuries on Mother’s eyes and wings were healing steadily even as he frantically rubbed against a tree.
The torn muscles were regenerating, filling the gaps like fine threads, and the amount of purple liquid leaking from his wounds was gradually decreasing.
By now, he had likely fully recovered.
Perhaps he was already searching for us.
As my thoughts drifted that far, Daniel, who had been putting away his dagger, spoke.
“How fast is it?”
“You mean Mother’s regeneration?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s just say, by the time we manage to destroy Mother’s core, we’d be out of strength. If we even make it that far.”
Kaindel trailed off, pressing his tongue against his inner cheek.
He emphasized the word “manage” with a hint of playful sarcasm.
Then, glancing toward the cave entrance, he added,
“By now, he may have already sniffed out our location from the scent of my blood.”
He pointed to the wound on his cheek with his finger, a subtle suggestion of a possibility, yet his expression held no trace of seriousness.
But his words were no exaggeration—he was certain.
High-level monsters had incredibly sharp senses.
Mother, being one of them, could easily locate us even from such a small wound.
Or rather, he probably had already found us.
I regretted not tending to Kaindel’s injury sooner.
It was such a tiny wound that I thought it wouldn’t matter.
I figured it wouldn’t scar and didn’t need urgent treatment.
But now, I realized the real problem was the danger the wound posed.
Ruen, realizing the gravity of the situation, straightened up and furrowed his brow.
“So, what now? Are we just going to let that disgusting bird head feast on us?”
“I’ll try to cover our tracks.”
Owen raised his hand, cutting off his grim comment.
Despite the dire situation, his expression remained calm.
I watched Owen rise to his feet.
Though he said he would erase our tracks, completely removing the scent of blood that had spread through the air seemed impossible.
Was he planning to obscure our presence somehow?
Impressive.
I couldn’t help but let out a soft exclamation.
I had always known that Owen could perform various feats using divine power, but I didn’t know he could do something like this.
Owen placed the burning stick onto a pile of leaves he had gathered in a circle.
The flames spread slowly.
After confirming the fire was burning steadily, he adjusted his robe and carefully brushed the dirt off his knees.
Even in this moment, Ruen couldn’t resist a snide remark toward his fastidiousness.
“Do you really think your little tricks will work against a high-level monster?”
“At least, not immediately.”
“Ugh… Fine, do it near me. I’ll keep watch.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Well, I don’t like it either, you brat. But I’m being nice, so be grateful.”
“Ridiculous. I said no.”
Despite his words, Owen didn’t refuse his company.
In fact, he even slowed his pace to match hers as he followed.
It seemed he also thought it was safer to have Ruen, who could quickly sense Mother’s presence, by his side.
I watched them walk toward the cave entrance and sighed.
I suddenly remembered something we had all forgotten.
“Hey.”
Breaking the silence after Ruen and Owen’s conversation felt awkward.
My voice cracked unpleasantly, filling the cave.
Hearing the echo bounce off the walls, I cleared my throat in embarrassment, trying to loosen my tight throat.
Everyone’s attention turned to me.
Even Daniel, who had been drowsily blinking, looked up, as did Kaindel and Sehir.
Owen, who had been walking away, stopped and turned to face me.
His pale blue eyes flickered briefly.
From his reaction, it seemed he had already guessed what I was about to say.
He silently crouched down near the cave entrance, apparently deciding to listen while continuing his work.
“So, I’ve been thinking…”
I exhaled softly and carefully chose my words, linking each syllable together.
It felt awkward to speak at length in front of everyone.
“Do you think Mother’s core could be in… the egg?”
“…”
“…”
The cave fell into an uncomfortable silence as soon as I voiced my idea.
No one said a word, and only the sound of the wind blowing in and out of the cave could be heard.
After a long pause, Sehir finally spoke.
“But the egg…”
However, the sentence, which hadn’t yet reached its end, was swallowed back.
His lips twitched but sealed tight.
His wildly shaking eyes revealed the turmoil in his mind.
It was easy to guess what Sehir was trying to suppress.
It seemed like he wanted to say, just as Owen did, that the monster’s core should only exist within its body, regardless of its rank.
I guessed his thoughts and looked away.
There I saw Kaindel, who was observing the standoff between Sehir and me with amusement.
“Kaindel.”
“Yes, Isa.”
At my call, his green eyes, which had been holding a mysterious light, cleared up.
“What did you feel?”
“About what?”
“When you fought the Mother.”
“Ah.”
“Did it seem like there was a specific part of his body he was particularly protecting?”
His throat bobbed as he swallowed, trembling with anticipation.
Since I had watched Kaindel’s fight with the Mother from start to finish, I already knew the answer.
The Mother had never once made any gesture to protect herself during the battle.
So there was no part of his body that he was particularly defending.
The reason I asked, despite knowing this, was simple.
I needed him to confirm it, to support the explanation I was about to give.
Kaindel remained silent for a while before running a hand through his hair.
His tousled locks fell into place as he shook his head.
“No, it just seemed like he was filled with murderous intent towards me. There was no movement that suggested he was protecting his core.”
Soon, he gave me the answer I had been hoping for.
Satisfied, I clamped my mouth shut, stopping myself from smiling.
As I glanced at those sneaking looks at Kaindel, I organized the words that were about to spill out haphazardly.
Passing Sehir, whose brows were furrowed in deep thought, I finally let my gaze land on Ruen, Daniel, and even Owen, who still had his back turned.
“Monsters always have a core. The Mother is no exception.”
* * *
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He is cute
Genial