Its body was a complete mess. While some parts remained intact, massive holes riddled it, and sections of skin had melted away entirely.

The creature leaned against the edge of the ground where they all stood, one arm stretched out as if begging for mercy, or futilely trying to escape the relentless onslaught it had suffered. Its wings sprawled across the battlefield—one tucked beneath its body, the other collapsed over it like a broken sail.

Its head… well, it was partially gone. The upper portion was obliterated, leaving only the lower beak, with slimy liquid dripping down and its tongue dangling limply.

Before it lay countless smaller slime creatures, strewn across the field. Some remained slightly intact, others reduced to unrecognizable globs. Many were squashed underfoot, skewered by swords, or missing chunks of their bodies. Hopefully, they were all truly dead.

Humans, too, were scattered among the carnage. Some lay buried beneath piles of debris, others sprawled openly, their armor broken or pierced. A few still clutched swords, embedded in the bodies of fallen monsters.

It looked like a graveyard. A battlefield of lives lost to something that wasn't even truly alive to begin with.

It was horrifying… yet strangely fascinating to behold.

Not paying attention, Finn accidentally stepped on one of the humanoid creature's heads—squashing it like an egg. A wet, sickening splat echoed beneath his boot.

He looked down, face twisting in disgust. "Disgusting… it's like stepping in shit. But slime. So it's far worse."

Isolde stepped up beside him, her hands neatly clasped under her waist. "Mister Finn, I think it would be best for us to not be near this thing. We are still unsure if it's alive."

"Oh, trust me—it's definitely not alive," he said firmly, eyes fixed on the giant mangled corpse.

"How do you know?"

"Because I know. After what I saw in there, I'm a hundred percent sure it's dead." He crossed his arms like he'd just made a scientific breakthrough.

"If that is what you say and believe, then I will follow through with it." She nodded, also staring at the body.

Chestelle wandered up beside them, squinting at the grotesque sight. "What are we looking at?"

"The body," Finn replied flatly. "What else?"

"I don't know—I thought you guys saw something there."

"I—uh… no. We're just… looking. At the body."

"Can I stare too?"

"Yes, Chestelle. You can stare too."

She squatted down like a child at a museum exhibit, eyes wide in awe at the monstrous remains.

Suddenly, Finn felt arms wrap around his waist. A body pressed against his back, warm breath brushing his neck. He froze.

"Ah…"

A hand slid up his side, another brushed along his jawline. Lickthorn's sultry voice whispered in his ear, "Seeing you out there, doing all those things… made me feel all sorts of ways. I wonder what else you could do—maybe even command me in bed."

Finn's eye twitched at her words. His brain screamed yes, but his situation screamed wrong time.

'Well… is it really the wrong time for something amazing?' he thought, torn between the corpse in front of him and the woman behind him.

All of a sudden, she was really hot to him. He wasn't sure if it was the near-death experience talking… or if he was just severely down bad.

'Maybe both…'

"You can't be serious! Doing that right here—and in front of a priest and other women?!" Seraphina shouted, her voice dripping with disbelief and moral panic.

Lickthorn just rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Can't a girl have some fun?"

"Absolutely not!"

She hugged Finn tighter, pressing against him. "Don't act like you've never gotten intimate with a man before~"

"That's because I haven't!" Seraphina barked back, her face reddening all the way to her ears.

Lickthorn giggled, covering her mouth daintily. "Wow… I'm honestly surprised, considering how uptight you are."

Finn blinked. He was shocked—and somehow not shocked at all. But then again, Lickthorn shouldn't be talking.

He glanced back at her. "Wait, Lickthorn… aren't you a virgin too?"

The teasing grin on her face vanished instantly—like her soul had just left her body.

Seraphina gasped dramatically. "You can't be a virgin and act slutty! You're damaging your chastity!"

"I don't even know what that means!" Lickthorn shot back, her grip on Finn slipping as shame and confusion set in.

Isolde stepped forward, folding her hands neatly. "Please, do not behave in such an indecent manner. Especially before all these fallen souls—it's highly inappropriate."

Lickthorn snapped toward her, eyes wide. "So what?! You wouldn't want your first time to be in front of a bunch of dead bodies, in a place like this?!"

Everyone froze—staring at her as if she'd just confessed to kicking puppies for fun. Even the wind stopped blowing.

Finn stood silently.

…slightly aroused.

No one needed to know that part.

Elise gave Lickthorn a tired, deadpan look. "What."

Lickthorn turned sharply toward Elise. "Wouldn't you do it here?"

"No. I'd rather do it in a more comfortable and suitable place—like a bed."

Finn turned to Elise, silently begging for help, but she just shrugged like, You made your bed. Lie in it.

"Can we please move on to another topic?!" Finn finally blurted out, hands in the air.

Isolde smiled politely. "Yes, please. And I would prefer if she stayed at least one yard away from Mister Finn."

While the chaos flared up again—Lickthorn arguing with Seraphina, Isolde trying to keel things stable, and Finn silently dying inside—Chestelle suddenly blurted out:

"What's that beating over there?"

Everyone froze.

"Beating?" Finn repeated.

"Yeah!" Chestelle pointed toward the creature's massive corpse. "Over there—behind it! I saw it moving! Let's go see it!"

Finn blinked. "Beating…?"

He paused. Thought for a moment.

Then his heart dropped straight into his stomach.

"There's no way…" he muttered under his breath.

Isolde tilted her head. "What is it?"

Finn's tone turned sharp. "We need to go there—now! Chestelle, lead the way!"

Because if what Chestelle said was true… then that cocoon thing somehow survived the explosion.

And that was very bad news.

For all of them.

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