Chapter 72: Monster’s Core Is It’s Lifeline

The core’s vibration grew stronger beneath Zarek’s hand.

He paused, watching the faint light pulsing inside it. A moment ago, the chamber had fallen silent.

The monster’s enormous body lay motionless among the torn roots and broken tentacles, and the last of the zombies had been reduced to scattered corpses.

Yet the core hadn’t stopped.

Another pulse passed through it.

A faint tremor ran through the mass of flesh beneath him.

Zarek raised an eyebrow.

One of the roots curled against the concrete. Nearby, a severed tentacle twitched, dragging itself a few inches before falling still again.

Then the monster’s chest moved.

Barely.

Zarek stared at it for a moment before a grin spread across his face.

"You’re not dead yet?"

The creature gave no answer. Its ruined mouth remained open, and its massive body looked incapable of moving again. Still, the core continued to vibrate, sending another weak pulse through the surrounding flesh.

Zarek’s gaze shifted between the two.

During the fight, the monster had grown weaker as the battle dragged on. Even after its body collapsed, the core had continued functioning. Now, with the core still in place, the creature was attempting to move again.

The connection wasn’t difficult to understand.

The core was keeping it alive.

Perhaps it was more than a source of power.

Zarek crouched a little closer, studying the pulsing object.

"Well, aren’t you interesting?"

He had already decided to keep it. Whatever secrets the thing contained, destroying it now would be a waste. If it was responsible for the monster’s strength, there might be something worth learning from it.

The core pulsed again.

The creature’s fingers scraped weakly against the floor.

Zarek’s grin widened.

"Let’s see what happens when I take you away."

He reached for the core and focused on storing it in System Space.

The object vanished from the wreckage.

For an instant, nothing happened.

Then the monster’s body jerked violently.

Its remaining roots contracted, twisting against one another as though something inside them had suddenly been pulled away. The tentacles lifted a few inches off the floor, shuddered, and dropped. The creature’s chest moved once more, but this time the motion was weaker than before.

Zarek watched without moving.

The core was gone. Whatever connection had allowed it to control the dead and sustain its own body had been severed.

A final tremor passed through the monster.

Then everything stopped.

Its enormous frame lay completely still, and no more movement came from the tangled roots or the ruined flesh. Even the faint signs of returning life had disappeared.

Zarek waited another moment before straightening.

"So that was it."

He looked at the empty space where the core had rested.

Whatever the thing was, he could examine it later. For now, he had what he wanted.

A strange core safely stored away, and a monster that wouldn’t be getting back up.

Zarek glanced around the chamber. Blood covered the floor, broken corpses lay scattered between the pillars, and the walls bore the marks of the fight. The stench was becoming unbearable.

He had enjoyed himself, but there was little reason to remain here any longer.

"Time to go home."

He turned toward the exit.

The first few steps felt easy enough. His body still carried the energy of the fight, and the satisfaction of winning kept his mind occupied. But as he moved farther from the chamber, the excitement began to fade.

His clothes clung to him, soaked with blood and sweat. Several parts of his body ached from the prolonged battle, and even his breathing felt heavier than it should have.

He ignored it and kept walking.

He had fought the monster while holding back much of his strength, but the battle had still dragged on. The endless horde, the tentacles, and the creature’s stubborn refusal to die had forced him to keep moving long after an ordinary person would have collapsed.

Now that the danger was gone, his body seemed determined to remind him of every bit of effort he had spent.

Zarek clicked his tongue.

"How annoying."

He wasn’t seriously injured, at least not in a way that stopped him from walking. Still, he could feel his strength draining with every step.

The corridor seemed longer than before, and the sounds of his own footsteps followed him through the empty building.

He kept going.

There would be time to rest once he reached the apartment. He wanted a shower, a change of clothes, and a proper chance to examine the core.

The thought of returning to familiar surroundings made him pick up his pace, though his legs were beginning to feel heavy.

By the time he reached the apartment, the last of his excitement had worn thin. He was still conscious and moving under his own power, but it was taking more effort than he cared to admit.

He opened the door and stepped inside.

Elsa was the first to notice him.

She turned toward the entrance, and her expression changed as soon as she saw him. Ayesha looked up from nearby, following her gaze. Mara, who had been in the room with them, also turned.

For a brief moment, none of them spoke.

Zarek stood in the doorway with blood covering his clothes. His hair was disheveled, his face was smeared with dirt and blood, and his body looked as though it had been dragged through a battlefield.

Elsa was already moving toward him.

"Zarek..."

Her eyes travelled over him, taking in his condition. Ayesha rose quickly, her attention fixed on the blood staining his clothes.

"What happened to you?" Mara asked, startled by the sight of him.

Zarek tried to answer, but the words didn’t come immediately. He hadn’t realized how exhausted he was until he stood in front of them, away from the danger and with no reason left to push himself forward.

He managed a crooked smile.

"Had a little trouble upstairs."

Elsa reached him first. "You need to sit down."

"Yeah, yeah..."

Zarek took another step into the room.

His leg suddenly gave way.

The smile vanished from his face as his balance disappeared. He tried to catch himself, but his arms felt too heavy to move in time.

"Zarek!"

Elsa lunged forward. Ayesha rushed toward him from the other side, while Mara hurried after them.

But he was already falling.

His knees buckled, and his body crashed to the floor before either woman could properly support him.

For the first time since entering the building, Zarek couldn’t force himself to get back up.

The room blurred around him as exhaustion finally overwhelmed him.

And then he collapsed in front of them.