The little slime continued moving across Draven's body.
It slowly absorbed every trace of blood.
Across his arms.
His face.
His neck.
Wherever it passed—
the blood disappeared.
Leaving clean skin behind.
The cat quietly watched for a moment.
"...Meow."
Then it turned around.
Its tail swayed lazily behind it.
Without the slightest hesitation—
it padded toward the scattered fragments of the shattered Abyssal Core.
It lowered its head.
Then—
**Crunch.**
A crystal fragment disappeared into its mouth.
Another.
Then another.
It casually chewed as though eating ordinary food.
No hesitation.
No struggle.
No sign of pain.
The surrounding cultists stared in stunned silence.
Kaelira's eyes widened.
"...The cat..."
She pointed.
"...It's eating them."
One of the cultists' voice trembled.
"...How..."
"...How is that possible?"
He stared at the little black cat.
"...Even if they're only fragments..."
"...They're still pieces of an Abyssal Core."
Another slowly shook his head.
"...That shouldn't be possible."
"...No ordinary creature could survive consuming even one."
His eyes remained fixed on the cat.
"...Yet..."
"...It isn't reacting at all."
"...It's completely unaffected."
He swallowed.
"...What..."
"...What kind of creature is that?"
The cat swallowed another fragment.
**Crunch.**
It licked its paw.
Then continued eating.
As casually as though nothing were unusual.
Aldric scratched his cheek.
"...Yeah..."
"...I almost forgot."
He looked toward the cat.
"...That little thing does this too."
He shrugged.
"...Like master..."
"...Like companion."
The masked elder finally spoke.
For the first time since Draven had begun consuming the Core—
genuine astonishment entered his voice.
"...What..."
His gaze remained locked on the small black cat.
"...What is that creature?"
Aldric looked at him blankly.
"...A cat."
A brief pause.
He tilted his head.
"...Can't you see it?"
He gestured toward the animal with one hand.
"...Seems obvious enough to me."
The chamber fell silent once more.
The masked elder kept his eyes fixed upon the little black cat.
It continued chewing through the remaining crystal fragments as though they were nothing more than ordinary snacks.
Not a trace of corruption spread from its body.
Not the slightest fluctuation of mana.
Nothing.
His aged voice finally broke the silence.
"...Do you truly expect me..."
"...to believe..."
"...that thing is an ordinary cat?"
Aldric glanced at him.
Then shrugged.
"...Pretty much."
"...Looks like a cat."
"...Walks like a cat."
"...Meows like a cat."
He pointed toward it.
"...Seems like a cat to me."
The masked elder remained silent.
His gaze never left the creature.
Pythia calmly shook her head.
"...No."
She took a step forward.
"...It is not an ordinary cat."
The surrounding cultists immediately looked toward her.
She lowered her head slightly toward Draven before continuing.
"...It is my Lord's companion."
Her voice carried absolute certainty.
"...A creature that has remained by His side from the very beginning."
She looked toward the cat, which casually swallowed another crystal fragment.
"...No ordinary beast..."
"...could approach my Lord as it does."
"...No ordinary beast..."
"...could consume the remnants of an Abyssal Core without consequence."
Her expression softened ever so slightly.
"...It has remained by my Lord's side through every trial."
"...As faithfully as any servant."
The cat paused.
It looked up at everyone.
"...Meow."
Then lowered its head again.
**Crunch.**
Another crystal fragment disappeared into its mouth.
Aldric watched it for a second before clicking his tongue.
"...See?"
"...It even ignored your dramatic nonsense."
Kaelira covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Ryke stared at the cat with an increasingly complicated expression.
*...A companion...*
*What kind of monster keeps a companion like that...?*
The chamber once again fell into silence.
No one present...
Could bring themselves to believe...
That the small black cat before them was something so simple.
Ryke continued staring at the little black cat.
It calmly chewed through the remaining crystal fragments.
Without pain.
Without hesitation.
Without the slightest reaction.
A chill ran down his spine.
*...My mistake.*
*That thing shouldn't be called a pet.*
His gaze lingered on the cat.
*...It's a monster too.*
*Just like the rest of them.*
*There was never anything normal about it.*
His eyes slowly shifted.
Toward the little slime.
It continued crawling over Draven's body.
Cleaning away every trace of blood.
*...Is that thing...*
*...a monster too?*
*Just what the hell are these people...?*
At the center of the chamber—
Draven slowly moved his mouth.
He turned his head slightly.
**Ptah.**
A mouthful of dark blood landed on the stone beside him.
Inside his body—
the compressed Abyssal mana continued folding into itself.
Relentlessly.
His thoughts remained calm.
*...Almost forty percent.*
*Once the Abyssal Breach is opened...*
*...it should be enough.*
*I can finally create a mana pool.*
He reached up.
Pinched one nostril shut.
Then blew.
Dark blood spilled onto the floor.
He repeated the motion with the other nostril.
Only after clearing the remaining blood did he wipe his face with his forearm.
Then—
he slowly stood.
His joints cracked softly as he straightened.
The little slime immediately slid down his body.
Cleaning away every remaining trace of blood.
Once it finished—
it bounced back up onto his shoulder.
Then stretched across his cheek.
Removing the last traces of blood from his face.
Draven glanced toward the little black cat.
It was still eating crystal fragments.
"...You done?"
The cat looked back at him.
"...Meow."
It suddenly opened its mouth.
Every remaining crystal fragment scattered throughout the chamber trembled.