Investing in My Harem in the Apocalypse Makes Me Stronger
Chapter 38: Mana Core — Cain’s Hidden Ability (2)

Chapter 38: Mana Core — Cain’s Hidden Ability (2)

Ron immediately moved behind Jack.

"Just saying."

Cain ignored him and looked toward the Ironhide Tyrant.

The enormous corpse remained near the center of the damaged parking area. Black blood had pooled beneath its severed neck and entered the cracks in the concrete.

Nathan had formed a Mana Core after advancing.

That meant a First-Echelon zombie might possess something similar.

Cain walked toward the corpse.

The others followed after noticing his interest.

"What are you doing?" Elara asked.

"Checking something."

Cain stopped beside the Tyrant’s chest and placed one hand against the hardened armor.

Faultline Vision naturally revealed the structure beneath the surface.

Its thick skin overlapped across layers of reinforced muscle. The ribs were much denser than those of an ordinary human, forming a natural cage around the internal organs.

Something remained inside that cage.

Cain could not see the object directly, yet the surrounding fault lines curved around a dense point near the center of the chest.

The entire body appeared to have developed around it.

"There’s something inside."

Nathan approached the corpse.

"A Core?"

"That’s what I’m about to find out."

Cain unsheathed the Frostveil Sword.

Several faint cracks remained along its pale blade after the battle, but the weapon could still handle a controlled amount of Ruin Dragon Force.

Dark gray energy gathered around the edge.

Cain placed the point between two armor plates and pushed.

The hardened flesh resisted at first, but once Ruin energy entered the surface, the structure rapidly weakened.

The sword sank deeper.

Cain pulled the blade downward, opening a long cut through the Tyrant’s chest.

Thick black blood flowed from the wound. A foul smell immediately spread through the parking area.

Ron covered his nose and stepped back.

"Fuck. That smells worse than the other zombies."

"The energy is probably preserving the corpse," Nathan said.

"That doesn’t make it smell better."

Cain widened the opening.

The muscles beneath the armor were dark and tightly packed. Even after death, cutting through them would have been difficult without Ruin Dragon Force.

The Tyrant’s ribs were even harder.

Cain followed the weakest connections between the bones and separated them one after another.

Crack!

He forced the chest cavity open.

A dull gray glow appeared within the darkness.

Cain leaned closer.

"There it is."

A round object rested behind the Tyrant’s reinforced rib cage.

Cain reached inside and removed it.

The object was approximately ten centimeters in diameter.

Its shape was almost perfectly spherical, although the rough surface resembled dark gray stone rather than crystal. Black veins spread across it, pulsing faintly despite the Tyrant’s death.

Cloudy energy rotated inside the Core.

The energy felt heavy and concentrated, but it also carried the same foul presence as the zombies.

Ron moved closer before immediately stepping away again.

"That thing feels disgusting."

Cain inspected it.

[Ironhide Tyrant Core]

[Rank: First Echelon]

[Description: Contains the concentrated evolutionary energy, physical essence, and defensive characteristics of an Ironhide Tyrant Zombie. The Core is contaminated by zombie energy and must be purified before absorption.]

Elara frowned after reading the description.

"What happens if someone absorbs it without purifying it?"

[Warning: The Core contains highly concentrated zombie energy.]

[Direct absorption may corrupt the user’s Mana, damage the Mana Core during formation, and cause irreversible zombification.]

Ron took another step backward.

"Put it away."

Cain continued holding it.

The black veins pulsed more quickly against his palm, almost as if the corrupted energy inside had sensed a living body.

The Core contained enough concentrated power to strengthen someone significantly.

Throwing it away would be a waste.

"The description says it can be purified."

"How?" Jack asked.

"I don’t know yet."

Cain examined the black veins.

If Doctor Owen possessed a purification Skill, perhaps he could remove the zombie energy.

Evelyne’s healing abilities might also become capable of doing so after further evolution.

Before Cain could consider returning to the auditorium, several notifications appeared.

[Zombie corruption has been detected within the Core.]

[Ruin Dragon Force can be used to destroy the corrupted energy and extract its remaining essence.]

[The purified essence can be absorbed during Mana Core condensation to help stabilize the newly formed Mana Core.]

[If enough purified Core essence is absorbed during condensation, the Mana Core may directly reach the Stabilized stage upon formation.]

Cain’s eyes lit up at the fact that his Ruin Dragon Force could destroy corrupted energy.

He was also surprised when he found out about the effect of absorbing the purified essence.

Normally, an Awakener would form a Mana Core at the Newly Formed stage. They would then need to absorb and refine Mana until the Core became stable enough to enter the next stage.

The purified essence inside the Tyrant’s Core could shorten that process.

If Cain absorbed it while condensing his own Mana Core, the stable energy would support the Core during its formation and reduce the instability that appeared immediately after advancement.

With enough purified Core essence, he might even form a Mana Core that entered the Stabilized stage from the beginning.

That would save him a considerable amount of time.

It would also allow him to begin progressing toward the Solidified stage much sooner.

Cain looked at the corrupted Core in his hand.

The Ironhide Tyrant had been only one First-Echelon creature. Its remaining essence might not be enough to stabilize his Mana Core completely.

However, there were more First-Echelon zombies in the city.

If he gathered and purified several Cores before completing his Advancement Mission, he might possess enough energy to reach the Stabilized stage immediately after forming his Mana Core.

"Stand back."

"..." Ron looked at him.

"We’re already standing away from that smell."

Cain circulated Ruin Dragon Force through his right hand.

Dark gray energy entered the Core.

The black veins across its surface immediately twisted. A low sound emerged from within the sphere.

It resembled a distant growl.

Ron’s face darkened.

"Why the fuck did it make a noise?"

"Residual energy," Nathan answered calmly.

"That explanation isn’t comforting."

Cain focused entirely on the purification.

He did not flood the entire Core with Ruin energy at once.

The evolutionary essence inside was valuable. Using too much power could destroy it along with the corruption.

Faultline Vision revealed faint connections between the black veins and the energy rotating within.

Cain followed those paths carefully.

Ruin Dragon Force entered one corrupted section at a time.

The black energy resisted. Several veins expanded across the Core’s surface before collapsing beneath the destructive force.

Thin smoke escaped from the sphere.

The smoke vanished before reaching Cain’s wrist.

More corruption gathered near the center, attempting to hide within the remaining essence.

Cain increased the output slightly.

The Core trembled in his hand. Its rough surface became hot, then cold, before gradually returning to a stable temperature.

The purification continued for nearly a minute.

One after another, the black veins disappeared.

The cloudy energy inside became clearer. Its hostile presence weakened until only a dense physical essence remained.

Cain lowered the output of Ruin Dragon Force.

The Core had changed.

Its surface was still gray, but the color had become much lighter. The energy inside no longer felt rotten or violent. Instead, it carried a stable heaviness.

[Purification completed.]

[Zombie corruption has been destroyed.]

Cain inspected the Core again.

[Ironhide Tyrant Core]

[Rank: First Echelon]

[State: Purified]

[Essence Effect: Ironhide Essence]

[Ironhide Essence: Strengthens the user’s skin, muscles, bones, and organs, increasing physical durability and resistance to impact and penetration.]

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