The Rock Crystal Golem lay before them, a fractured, inert monument of earth and crystal. Kaelus approached the visible core within its chest cavity, which was a dark brown, yet pulsated with a strange, intense internal red glow.
Kaelus reached out and touched the SSS-rank Earth Elemental Monster Core. The instant his hand made contact, the intense red glow surged out of the core, flowing like liquid fire and blending entirely into Kaelus's body.
The effect was instantaneous: the superficial wounds Kaelus had sustained vanished, and a profound, comforting energy flooded his core.
Zane and Zathis were stunned.
"What in the hell was that??" Zathis exclaimed. "How did you heal instantly?"
"I don't understand what happened," Zane admitted, staring at the now-dull core. "Something influenced it to heal and evolve, and now that something is in Kaelus."
"Are you feeling anything weird, Kaelus?" Zathis asked, his voice hushed.
Kaelus closed his eyes and looked inside his Dragon Core. There, resting against the core like a very comfortable entity, was a strong, pulsating red glow. It gave off nothing but soothing warmth and intense life force. It wasn't regular magic energy; it was a concentrated, small creature, shaped like a tiny, formless blob of blood. As Kaelus looked closer, the shape became clearer: a shimmering, translucent ghost-like with faint outlines of a head and delicate hands. This little being was peacefully sleeping, using the massive energy of his Dragon Core like a pillow.
Kaelus had absolutely no explanation for this. It was totally unique—unlike the elemental power he had absorbed or the life force he had seen disappear when monsters died. Even though this strange entity was resting in his core, Kaelus felt a deep, comforting warmth from it. This crimson phantom was the source of two amazing powers: his instant healing after the fight and the massive, rapid refilling of his mana reserves. That ghost-like red glow had clearly some kind of sentient life essence that immediately sought refuge within his own unique Dragon Core. This was a brand new, deep power that was now permanently connected to Kaelus's life.
"Kaelus? Kaelus!"
The urgent, repeated call of Zathis finally pulled Kaelus's consciousness out of the deep inner inspection of his core. He snapped his gaze back to the others, realizing he had been looking afar for a noticeable duration.
"Yes, uhm.. I don't feel anything other than comfort," Kaelus replied, testing his limbs. "Also, that red glow replenished my nearly exhausted mana core."
Zane stared, processing the implication. "You mean to say, after using that many ultimate skills—worth almost three-quarters of your mana reserve—that thing replenished that much mana in just a second? Other than that, it healed you completely?"
"I don't really know it myself, but yes, that's what happened."
Zathis then pointed to the giant, crystalline structure. "So, where is that red glow now? Also, the remains of the SSS-Rank Rock Crystal Golem are still here. It didn't dissipate into mana."
"It's good that it didn't dissipate like others," Zane observed, examining the crystal remains. "Its body is full of heavy earth crystal, making it a thousand times more valuable than a normal mana stone."
"But it is too large to carry. How are we supposed to carry this?" Zathis wondered.
Kaelus simply extended his hand, and with a silent thought, the massive, fractured crystal structure vanished. Zathis and Zane stared at the empty space, not even questioning the Dragon's Void skill this time, seemingly immune to Kaelus's surprises. "I will keep this for now. Let's go back to the Wind Carriage."
Back in the Wind Carriage, Kaelus explained the mechanics of the battle. The team was amazed.
"So this Enhanced Ryujin no Kaze—when did you create that?" Vara asked.
"I made my ultimate skill more destructive by applying a Vortex to the sword's blade," Kaelus explained. "It makes the skill unescapable. By applying the vortex on the blade, as I unleash the technique, the vortex expands, making the surrounding monster pulled inside the ultimate skill. I used that to lure the two initial SS+ Ranks into the technique, killing them instantly."
"That's really insane," Kaelan murmured. "And the battle with the SSS-rank monster—I wish I could have seen that."
"So what is that red glow? Also, where are the monster remains?" Sylva asked.
"The monster remains are in my Dragon's Void skill," Kaelus replied. "The red glow, I really don't know where it went. Maybe it's gone after healing my wounds and replenishing my mana."
Sylva frowned, pushing the topic slightly. "It is good that your mana already replenished, because it takes too much mana restoration pill to completely restore your mana pool."
Grund shook his head. "This trip has too many surprises that it makes me wonder sometimes how we pass through it without harm."
Jian nodded toward Kaelus. "A big part of it is thanks to Kaelus."
"Yes," Zane confirmed. "Without Kaelus, we can't even pass through the middle part of the Eastern Territory."
"Guys, look outside," Kaelus said, a sudden nostalgia coloring his tone as he saw the massive, recognizable cliff face of his birthplace.
They had reached the edge of a colossal mountain range. The sheer size of the peaks and the deep, dark canyon cutting through them was breathtaking.
"So this is the Dragon's Cave," Zathis breathed. "It is too large in person."
"The map is not updated up to this area, so we also need to survey this part to update the records," Vara noted professionally.
Kaelus landed the Wind Carriage at the vicinity of the canyon foot. They quickly assumed a tight formation and began their final infiltration. The deeper they traveled, the more ancient the forest became, and the more aggressive the monsters grew. They fought A-rank Scalebeasts and aggressive B-rank Stone Drakes, creatures whose mana was wild and unstable. The Phalanx fought with renewed coordination, utilizing every trick Kaelus had taught them. They were efficient, silent, and deadly, moving through the dangerous terrain with the focused purpose of a surgical strike team, pushing closer and closer to the hidden cave—the nexus of the three worlds.