Standing on the hovering magitek motorcycle, Yvette gazed into the distance at the Ish Mountain Range, its center enshrouded in withered plants, exuding an aura of death in the twilight. This was likely the “Corrupted Forest” where the Lord was being birthed.

Due to the simultaneous deployment of forces in two directions, there were hardly any signs of life in the Corrupted Forest. The wind swept through gnarled branches, producing a low wailing sound, transforming the entire area into a massive, ominous graveyard.

After a moment of silence, Yvette turned to the Dual Blade Demon and asked, “How many three-phase aberrations are around the Mother Nest?”

“The weakest ones are on the front lines. Other than the Nest Master, there should be four more… I can provide you with information on all of them,” the Dual Blade Demon replied. “If you plan to strike, I can help distract one during your assault on the Mother Nest.”

“Why are you being so helpful?” Rosalyn was skeptical.

“I told you, once the Lord appears, we’re all done for…” The Dual Blade Demon smirked, a low chuckle escaping its lips. “At my stage, there’s a magic core within me… I believe your teacher would be quite interested in that…”

“Do aberrations also have magic cores?” Yvette raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

The essence of a magic core is a solid-state energy body, exceptionally easy for elemental mages to absorb, akin to an instant potion of mana, providing an essential energy boost during emergencies.

Of course, devices like elemental batteries and storage panels had similar purposes but were fundamentally different. Those devices stored energy through material means, specifically catering to magitek machinery. For mages to draw energy from them was akin to squeezing a rock-like sponge—taking half a day just to extract a tiny amount, making them practically useless in critical moments.

“Of course they do…” The Dual Blade Demon maintained its composure, creating some distance. “I simply need the corpses of those fools; the magic cores are yours…”

Yvette pondered.

According to the Dual Blade Demon’s intel, there were a total of six three-phase aberrations in the Ish Mountain Range faction—one was the Nest Master, one was on the frontline against Rua City, and the remaining four were defenders of the Mother Nest… If its information was accurate, and their movements in alignment, the situation would likely play out with the Dual Blade Demon handling one, Rosalyn another, while she herself would deal with the other two defenders.

But the Nest Master within the Mother Nest also posed a substantial threat, and it was not out of the question that there could be additional guards hidden within the forest that the Dual Blade Demon was not aware of…

“Can we attack in waves? For example, dispatching a portion first,” Rosalyn suggested.

“Foolish! If you do that, the insects will return to guard the Mother Nest!” the Dual Blade Demon countered, its tone growing more fluid. “And the other two nests, including the Nest Master, are all fools! You should know it’s unrealistic to expect them to be effective. Now that their forces are spread thin, it’s vital to stop the birth of the Lord as quickly as possible!”

“What do you think, teacher?” After being berated, Rosalyn turned to Yvette with a pout. She still remained distrustful of this creature that had attacked her upon first meeting, especially with its menacing smile, which made it seem like an evil villain in a story.

“Prepare for five days,” Yvette replied, lowering her eyelids.

“I hope we have a pleasant collaboration, beautiful… powerful… mage lady,” the Dual Blade Demon grinned, its tone slightly flattering as it concluded, and then it flapped its wings, turning into a fleeting shadow and vanishing without a trace.

“Can we really trust this guy, teacher?” Once the Dual Blade Demon had left, Rosalyn asked anxiously.

“No,” Yvette mused, a sigh escaping her lips after a moment of silence. “But we cannot afford to gamble; we cannot leave this island and have no second option. Even if it’s a trap, we need to take a look to feel secure.”

“I suppose…” Rosalyn said dejectedly.

…

During the next five days, Yvette hastened to complete the optimization of the “Regeneration Pump.”

As a life-saving spell, it not only significantly elevated the body’s regenerative speed but could also form an illusory energy heart near a wound when it was infected. This heart would draw in all infected blood, forcibly stripping away and containing the aberrant factors, while slowly pumping the purified blood back into the body. Ultimately, the tainted factors would be compressed into a viscous black liquid, expelled through vomiting or guided out by spells.

This had to be completed within 20 seconds; if it took longer, the aberrant factors would spread rapidly, and the Regeneration Pump would be ineffective.

Yet, no matter what, this provided an emergency solution, allowing Rosalyn to engage in close combat with aberrations without the constant dread of injury.

Meanwhile, Rosalyn diligently studied the new intelligence provided by the Dual Blade Demon.

According to its descriptions, aside from the three-phase aberration in Rua City, the five aberrations in the Corrupted Forest included the Nest Master, the “Tide Queen,” and four elite guards: “Corrupted Vulture,” “Night Demon,” “Mechanical Tyrant,” and “Shepherd Sheep”!

—Names given spontaneously by Rosalyn.

The “Tide Queen” needed no elaboration, being the Nest Master and the true brain behind the swarm, capable of sensing its surroundings and using the tide insects as its eyes. Although currently in a semi-dormant state, she could still maintain control over the swarm through the Mother Nest.

The Corrupted Vulture was a massive aberrant vulture with three heads that could spray corrosive venom. Its powerful physique boasted a wingspan of over 30 meters, akin to a dragon, making it formidable in close-quarters combat.

The Night Demon was a bat-like aberration slightly smaller than the Corrupted Vulture yet still sizeable, characterized by its head, which lacked visible eyes or other features, possessing only a mouth that could stretch wide open, reaching the roots of its ears.

The Mechanical Tyrant was clearly a half-mechanical aberration resulting from the corruption of magitek soldiers. In terms of evolutionary level, the Dual Blade Demon believed it might only be a second-phase being, lacking even proper cognitive functions. However, as a small-scale mech from the era of the Origin Civilization, despite its lack of intelligence, it still ranked as the strongest among the elite guards, even more powerful than the Nest Master, and was a foe only Yvette could face.

The Shepherd Sheep appeared as a giant humanoid, towering 7 to 8 meters high, but perhaps due to its sheep-like head, it lacked the intelligence levels of the Dual Blade Demon. Its body was covered in thick, stained white fur, with limbs resembling those of a human. During combat, its pudgy abdomen would suddenly open up, revealing numerous writhing, tortured human heads tethered by tendrils—these heads acted as its primary biting weapon.

Naturally, all of this information was based solely on the word of the Dual Blade Demon and might only represent the tip of the iceberg in terms of reality. Yet, it was still daunting enough to prevent any sense of complacency.

…

On the sixth day, the master and apprentice arrived at the designated spot in a smalltown ruin outside Ish Mountain. As they parked their vehicle, they noticed the head of the Dual Blade Demon peering out from a window of an abandoned building nearby, its sleek, black carapace glinting in the summer sunshine.

It impatiently asked, “… Have you figured out how you intend to allocate the targets?”

“… You startled me! You!” Rosalyn retorted, momentarily believing some aberration had emerged, even though it technically was one.

Then, seeing the disdainful expression on the Dual Blade Demon’s face, Rosalyn replied indignantly, “What about the Mechanical Tyrant? Are you capable of handling that?”

“What a tasteless name; it’s worse than ‘Dual Blade Demon,’” the creature quipped. “Of course not; that’s a foe no one can contend with, so let your teacher handle it.” The rightful source is novel(ꜰ)ire.net

Clearly, the days of conversation had made the Dual Blade Demon much more fluent in human speech.

“What about the Shepherd Sheep?” Rosalyn inquired again.

“That thing is very uncanny and not suited for me.”

“Why do you want to avoid everyone?”

“Engaging in battle with an unknown entity isn’t the act of a wise man. I’ll target that big vulture; it’s not very intelligent, allowing me to leverage my cognitive advantage to toy with it.” The Dual Blade Demon asserted, “I doubt you wish for a partner who cannot contribute to your advantage, creating a hindrance instead.”

“What cognitive advantage? Isn’t your speed the only thing you have?” Rosalyn objected, considering the Corrupted Vulture to be the slowest among the elite guards.

“Just wait; you’ll be amazed by my wisdom.”

“I suspect you merely want to slack off…”

After much discussion, the Dual Blade Demon selected the Corrupted Vulture as its target, while Rosalyn opted for the Night Demon.

The remaining targets—the Mechanical Tyrant, the Shepherd Sheep, and the Tide Queen within the Mother Nest—would all be handled by Yvette.

Thus, with their plan in place, the trio extracted their individual combat-ready magitek skateboards and gradually moved toward the Corrupted Forest.