Serine shot upward into the air with a sharp burst of energy, then unleashed a specialized, precision-shaped attack from her open palm straight downward toward the largest, most grotesque Black Plague creature. The attack flared brilliantly, lighting up the monster's entire body from head to toe in a blinding flash-but despite the dramatic illumination, it caused almost no real damage at all. It looked as though Serine hadn't even intended to harm him seriously, as if this strike was merely a test or a probe. Yet it was painfully obvious that the colossal creature did not appreciate this new technique being used on him. With violent force, he tore himself out of the ground, ripping apart his massive, root-like tendrils-roots thick as ancient trees-just to drag himself free and launch a furious attack toward Serine. Sitting calmly on the side, legs crossed and posture relaxed, Richard watched the unfolding battle with a faint, almost amused smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Serine had no intention of vaporizing this massive one the way she effortlessly annihilated the smaller ones earlier. Instead, she was deliberately trying to keep his body as intact as possible even after killing him. To her, to them, it was a priceless treasure. The Black Plague species possessed a bizarre, almost nightmarish digestive system-one that allowed them to consume literally anything they touched. Alive or dead, soft or solid. even diamonds and the hardest, most reinforced metals in the minerals would crumble to dust inside their stomachs as if they were nothing more than brittle sand. That was why the corpse of a fully grown Black Plague individual was considered treasure chest waiting to be opened. Even their leftovers-their byproducts-were treasures in their own right. No one truly understood what each creature had consumed throughout its life, nor how such a massive blend of countless resources accumulated inside them and seeped through their entire bodies. They were, in a strange way, similar to bees that transform diverse nectar into honey-but with the Black Plague, the process was darker, more chaotic, and infinitely more dangerous. It wasn't rare to hear of legendary, high-quality weapons forged from the flesh or bones of the Black Plague; or of alchemists using their remains thanks to the astonishing variety of materials blended inside them; or of their blood being harvested as ready-made enchanted ink; or of their souls being extracted and used as reference material to study corruption in all its forms. Certain body parts were often cut off and sold on the black market to demonic factions willing to pay fortunes. Every adult Black Plague creature capable of standing upright on two legs and spreading their infectious seeds was, quite literally, a wandering, self-moving treasure vault. In fact, many demonic forces actively captured these creatures and deliberately planted them on distant planets, letting the cycle continue so they could harvest more of them later. Entire organizations across the universe specialized in this cultivation process, turning it into their sole source of revenue and every single one of them was obscenely wealthy. Realistically, the fact that Serine casually destroyed several of them at the very beginning of the battle suggested one of two things: either she was so impulsive and carefree that she didn't understand the value she was destroying. or she was so unimaginably wealthy that she had absolutely no need for the obscene profits these creatures could provide. The battle continued for a few more extended minutes- Additional Black Plague individuals erupted from beneath the ground to assist their elder, but every one of them was swiftly killed. And at last, the colossal elder himself collapsed. Serine landed gracefully atop his massive, externally-damaged head. With a series of swift, practiced motions, she sliced out a large chunk from the torso and stored it neatly inside her ring. Dusting off her hands with a bright, satisfied smile, she called out behind her, "Richard, I'm done! I'll start attracting a few more of the Plague for you to kill, just like usual."
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