The silence that followed the fall of the Sovereign of the Corrupted Web was unlike any post-battle experience the Astralis group had faced up to that point.
In that deep chamber of the Cave of Whispers, the air still vibrated with the echo of the burst of golden light, but the sound was now replaced by the heavy breathing of the guild members, who were finally able to relax, and by the metallic clang of armor being loosened to make it even easier for each of them to breathe.
The surrounding scene also showed just how intense the battle had been there, with broken stalactites scattered across the floor, deep gouges etched into the walls, and the creature’s toxic venom evaporating into smoke.
Alice was sitting against a stone column, examining the cracks in her boxer’s gauntlets with visible exhaustion, but her eyes sparkled.
Dee kept his heavy shield resting on the ground, noting that the metal surface was warped and covered with corrosion marks that Lohan’s exoskeleton had been unable to fully absorb at the height of the battle.
Justin and Samantha, standing close together, were trying to wipe away the viscous fluid that stained their leather garments, while Tunder and WyrmWood checked the condition of their own staffs and magic conduits.
Despite their injuries, torn clothing, and severely damaged equipment, a huge smile graced the face of every guild member.
The sense of accomplishment was incredible for them.
They hadn’t just survived—this time, they had triumphed over an elite monster two levels above the group’s average!
The pride of being part of a legitimate world-class achievement for the first time filled each of their hearts, for they knew that the global announcement the system had triggered with the guild’s name was, this time, also their doing—and not just Halon’s and Lisa’s, as had been the case in the three previous events.
"We really did it," Dylan remarked, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his forearm. "A Level 15 Elite! Wow, I can already imagine so many ways to use this in the marketing campaigns we’ve been planning. With this recent achievement, I’m sure players will go crazy when they hear that we’re planning to recruit!"
Lisa, sitting elegantly despite her white fur being stained with dust and dried blood, simply nodded in agreement, accustomed to Dylan’s mind focusing on such matters whenever he could ever since they were young.
She also sensed the wave of satisfaction coming from Halon through the symbiotic link, both of them knowing that this victory was essential to solidifying the loyalty of Dylan and Alice’s Players.
Glory, not just benefits, was also a huge factor in winning someone over. With them being part of it—sharing in the glory—the chances that they’d want more became even greater, eliminating one of the concerns she and Halon had about the new Players.
While the group chatted animatedly and began to recover, Lisa used her authority as president to access the Astral Chest, causing a bluish glow to appear in the center of the clearing and opening the dimensional compartment.
She began distributing high-quality food, refreshing drinks, and the regeneration potions they had purchased in Thalendor a few days earlier.
The group had used up part of their supply during the battle, leaving only a small number of potions remaining, but given their condition, even if the potions were now being used merely to improve the group’s comfort, Lisa didn’t mind the cost of a few silver coins.
That was exactly why she was collecting coins from the Guild members—to use that money to buy items and equipment useful to everyone—so they should enjoy this as much as possible now after such a great victory, and when they returned, they could buy more.
Samantha picked up a vial of health potion and downed its contents, feeling immediate relief from the chemical burns the spider’s venom had caused on her skin. One of Dylan’s warriors was munching on a delicious elven vegetable salad, savoring the fresh texture that the chest had managed to preserve perfectly, while the atmosphere of camaraderie among them grew with every laugh and shared account of the fight’s perilous moments.
Standing a little apart from the group’s commotion, Lohan was completely focused on the task that defined his existence in that world.
His blue Slime body had engulfed the massive corpse of the Monster Sovereign that had given them such a hard time, with Lohan’s digestion operating at the peak speed he could muster, processing every centimeter of that disgusting shell and the flesh rich in corrupted energy.
The initial sensation was strange and disconcerting for Lohan.
Unlike the sweetness of pure mana or the neutral density of ordinary monsters, the residual energy still pulsing through this monster’s corpse had a bitter, disgusting taste—something reminiscent of rusty metal mixed with rotting flesh.
Even for him, who could barely feel anything he digested, this was still extremely repulsive.
It was a sensation that seemed to "bite" at his inner membrane as it was dissolved; however, as Lohan’s digestive filter worked to isolate the impurities and refine the nutrients, he sensed an unprecedented richness of biomass.
Every processed piece of that elite Level 15 monster sent pulses of massive power to his core.
Lohan felt his gelatin become denser and more stable, with the magical cells inside him practically vibrating with joy.
Suddenly, a glowing notification appeared in his peripheral vision, illuminating the interior of the bluish mass.
[Sacred Light Core Lv 1 → Lv 2!]
The moment the evolution occurred, Lohan felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
His control over that power became much more precise and intuitive; the reservoir of holy light within his core expanded, allowing him to store a greater amount of that energy without the risk of overflow or immediate weakness.
But beyond the technical improvement, a strange sensation arose at the very core of his consciousness.
It was something he couldn’t describe in human words—a kind of "harmonic resonance" that caused his light to vibrate whenever it came into contact with the purified essence of that monster.
Curious about this reaction, Lohan paused the biomass processing for a second.
He looked at what remained of the creature’s skull and felt a moment’s hesitation.
The familiarity between the monster’s corrupted energy and his sacred light was obvious, subtly reminding him of the monster of light he had seen while digesting the core in the Yrneha tower—though the two were diametrically opposed.
The monster had shown a visceral hatred for Lohan the moment it sensed his light, and Lohan realized that, for his own safety and for the future of Astralis, it was imperative for him to understand who this enemy was.
Even knowing the risk of being overwhelmed by malevolent emotions—as had happened in past experiences of memory resonance with powerful creatures—Lohan decided to activate the memory resonance on the monster’s corpse anyway.
He activated his parallel processing to create defensive mental barriers and plunged his consciousness into the monster’s remains.
The transition was immediate.
The cave’s clearing and the sound of the guild celebrating vanished, replaced by a fragmented view of the creature.
Lohan was surprised to realize that, at first, the memories were not those of a mad monster or an abomination; he was seeing the world through the eyes of an ordinary queen spider, a creature that had lived in those deep caves for years.
The environment was surprisingly characterized by a natural yet stable balance.
The queen spider cared for her offspring, hunted smaller creatures when necessary, and avoided unnecessary conflicts with other cave predators, creating a surprisingly "peaceful" routine in that place.
But then, Lohan suddenly witnessed the moment when that balance was shattered.