Zeubros looked skeptical when I told him I’d use Clean to remove the foreign matter. However, he didn't offer any counterarguments. Since the results would be evident soon enough, he seemed content to let us have our way for the time being.
And so, the Silver-colored Abomination Cleanup Operation was underway.
The key was to truly believe that the Silver Abominations were unnecessary filth. Our keyword: "Silver-colored Abominations, begone!" I chanted it two or three times like a mantra, just to be safe. Badis-san and his men were looking at us with suspicion, but I couldn't afford to worry about that now.
"Alright, here I go!"
I made my declaration and cast the spell. Immediately, I felt a heavy surge of mana drain from my body. I wouldn't say it was half my pool, but it probably took about thirty percent.
The change was instantaneous.
『Ngh...!』
Zeubros’s right front leg suddenly turned black and then crumbled away, melting into a dark slurry. Zeubros let out a low groan, likely from the pain.
"His leg!?"
"Is he... is he going to be okay?"
Halfa and Spira watched the spot where Zeubros’s right front leg had been with looks of deep concern. The corruption hadn't looked that severe on the surface, but the erosion had clearly progressed further than we’d realized; the limb was missing almost entirely.
However, I didn't have the luxury of worrying about that yet.
『Tort! The alien presence is still there!』
"I know!"
From within the melted black sludge, the Silver-colored Wrigglers were peeking out. I had managed to excise a significant portion, but it hadn't been enough to wipe them out completely. The remnants began to writhe, looking around as if searching for a new host.
As if I’d let them!
I unleashed a second Clean at the wrigglers, pouring my strength into the spell with the intent to uproot them once and for all.
The remaining wrigglers accounted for less than ten percent of the original mass, yet their resistance was incredibly fierce. I channeled my mana with the mental image of scrubbing away a stubborn, persistent stain.
Suddenly, the resistance buckled. At that moment, perhaps having reached its limit, the entirety of the Silver-colored Wrigglers turned black. Then, along with the parts that had already blackened, the mass crumbled into fine particles like sand before finally vanishing into nothingness.
"Garna?"
『Umu. The presence has completely vanished. I didn't think you would actually be able to purify it. You really are an extraordinary person.』
Wait, what?
Garna was the one who suggested it, and now she's calling me extraordinary for actually doing it?
Well, whatever. We’d managed to defeat the Silver Abomination, so I was happy.
"Young Master, I have no idea what just happened. Are we sure we aren't totally out of our element here?"
"No kidding. They've been tossing around talk of gods and such for a while now. I guess B-Rank adventurers are just built different."
In the background, the Mohawk adventurers were whispering to each other. They’d seemed so calm that I thought they were just ignoring us, but it turns out they’d been paying close attention.
"No, I think this is a rather unique case," Lowell said, calling out to them with a wry smile. He happened to be an Apostle of the Spirit God himself, but his point was valid. Regardless of our individual strength, I doubted there was another party in the world with such deep ties to the divine. Between Ren-kun and me, we had two Apostles of the Destiny God; then there were two Apostles of the Spirit God, the Holy Beast of the Destiny God, and even the Trial God herself.
『Oh, I feel wonderful. It is as if a foul weight has been lifted from my soul. You have my gratitude.』
Despite losing most of his leg, Zeubros seemed quite energetic. I figured we could probably treat the injury if we had a Maimed Limb Healing Potion, though I wasn't sure if it would work on a Holy Beast without testing it first.
『Hmm? What is with those expressions? Ah, my leg?』
Zeubros, basking in his recovery, finally noticed our grim looks. He laughed it off as if it were a minor inconvenience. In fact, for him, it clearly was.
『Something like this will regrow in an instant. Here, watch.』
True to his word, a new leg suddenly burst forth from the stump. It was perfectly restored, looking as though he had never been injured at all. Lizards' regenerative power is amazing, I thought—but then again, even real lizards only grow back their tails, and certainly not that fast.
Was it a Holy Beast trait? I glanced at Shiroru, but he just shook his head. 『I cannot do that.』 So it wasn't a universal Holy Beast power, but something unique to Zeubros himself. That said, the effort clearly took a toll on him.
『I must repay you, but I find myself quite weary. Forgive me, but I shall rest for a time.』
Without waiting for a reply, Zeubros padded over to a corner of the room and curled up. Almost immediately, soft, rhythmic breathing—hardly what you'd expect from such a massive beast—echoed through the chamber.
"He's out like a light."
『He has likely been fighting that silver erosion non-stop until now. I wished to ask him more, but it cannot be helped. We shall save the questions for later. First, we must attend to this dungeon.』
Leaving the sleeping Zeubros behind, we resumed our exploration... but our journey was nearly over.
At the back of the great hall where we’d found Zeubros, a staircase led to a single, small room. Given how recently it had formed, this dungeon was clearly quite small in scale.
"…So, is this the dungeon core?"
『I suppose so.』
Sitting in the center of the small room was a silver-coated box—a Pandora Gift.