Battered all over, the Storm Great Tempest healed at astonishing speed.
Barely a few minutes had passed before it slowly rose from the ground.
But its eyes now held less savagery and more terror.
Pinned beneath Milim, the Storm Great Tempest could not resist; it could barely even move.
Any attempt earned a flurry of punches and kicks—utterly helpless.
At that moment Draco walked over and gently patted Milim's shoulder.
"Having fun?" he asked with a smile, still wearing that gentle expression as he looked at the beast.
Yet to the Storm Great Tempest, that smile seemed demonic, making it tremble.
Its mind replayed the day's ordeal, and fear lingered even now.
"Loads of fun! I never had anyone to spar with before. Now I've got this unkillable thing—I can practice on it every day."
Milim beamed, ignoring the creature's resentful, despairing gaze.
"As long as you're happy."
Draco spared no thought for the beast's bleak future; his headache was where to keep it.
Its passive skill "Magic Interference" prevented him from sealing it away with magic.
The Eighth Floor was mostly empty, but it might disturb "those" beings within the tree of life—not to mention Lupusregina Beta.
Besides, the Sakura Sanctuary was also on the Eighth Floor; letting the creature roam could bring needless trouble.
"How to lock it up...?"
Draco pondered. "If only I could break that Magic Interference."
With that thought, he resolved to study the colossal beast.
"Milim, want to take a look inside its stomach?"
Milim's eyes lit up. "Sounds awesome—I can't wait!"
Storm Great Tempest: "..."
It suddenly felt the urge to self-destruct, just to escape the torment.
Before entering, Draco told Albedo to summon Aura, then led Milim straight through the creature's mouth.
Inside, the space was vast—like the Sky-Whale dungeons of legend, with passages branching everywhere.
Unlike ordinary monsters, the Storm Great Tempest had no nerves or cells; it was simply a gigantic lump of flesh.
A powerful spirit piloted the entire shell.
Thus no revolting innards or gore cluttered the interior.
"Wow, it's like a maze in here!" Milim exclaimed, thrilled.
"Use your Dragon Eye and find its core for me."
Draco reminded her.
"Aw, that ruins the adventure!" Milim pouted, reluctant.
"Hmm~? Don't tell me you can't find it~" Draco arched a brow.
Milim's eyes flared. "You doubting my power?"
With that, a silver gleam flashed through her pupils.
In an instant the chaotic maze became crystal-clear to her.
"Ha, found it!"
she declared smugly. "Hmph, follow me."
Draco chuckled. "As expected of Lady Milim—amazing."
"Of course I am!"
They strode along the branching paths, and soon, guided by Milim, Draco reached the Storm Great Tempest's core region.
The core area of the Storm Great Tempest looked like a colossal egg—nothing odd on the surface, and it even radiated thick life energy.
The egg was the size of a house, and deep inside it one could sense an extremely violent fluctuation.
That was the Storm Great Tempest's mana-core, brimming with destructive desire.
After studying it for a moment, Draco reached out and grasped the egg wall beside the core.
"Pretty tough... Milim, you're up!"
"Blow it open and let's see what's inside."
"Got it!!"
Milim shot forward and punched the egg wall.
With her blow, the entire core area of the Storm Great Tempest trembled slightly.
Crack.
A crisp shatter rang out as Milim blasted the Storm Great Tempest's core shell open.
Storm Great Tempest: "!!!"
But it was only a protective layer; the creature itself wasn't really hurt.
The instant the shell collapsed, what lay inside was revealed.
A crystal-clear orb floated in mid-air.
Around it swirled storm elements so dense they seemed liquid, forming a vortex while faint arcs of lightning flickered.
"This... a mana-core?"
Draco stared at the crystal orb, deep in thought.
Ordinary monsters each possess a mana-core as their energy center; in Rimuru's city many inscribed tools are crafted from such cores.
They're basically inferior magic items, and simple to make.
"Strictly speaking, it should be called a Demon-Core."
At that point Milim began explaining.
"It's what you get when a creature's spiritual core fuses with its physical mana-core. Smash it and the Storm Great Tempest dies on the spot."
"Its spiritual core will disperse, and after a while it'll re-condense somewhere else and revive."
When she finished, Draco looked at her in disbelief.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"