After the fall of the abyssal mantis, the dust took time to settle over the shattered bedrock. With the queen's death, the few surviving males fled in terror toward the fissures, leaving behind air laden with ash.
Ethan walked toward the dissolved remains of the gigantic beast. Amidst the dark vapor, something sparkled with a purple light. He bent down and retrieved a spirit core the size of a fist, perfectly spherical and pulsing with the essence of the Void.
[Not bad, Master], Crul's voice echoed in his mind with satisfaction. [The core of an abyssal beast at the peak of the Dao Manifestation Realm... If the Black Chaos Sword absorbs this once you rest, its power will refine further. Furthermore, its exoskeleton left a pair of scythes intact; they are divine-grade materials for blacksmiths.]
