(Ah. My body is as good as before. A fraction of my mana is worth it for my complete recovery.)
The mimic in a gryphon form with the name of Azrael inhales the warm air of the dungeon to express how relieved he is. He then raises his left front limb and clenches his talons to test his strength, which is still the same as before. That instance makes him think that something is off.
(Didn't I swallow her body? Should I become stronger by now? Did I even absorb her magic crystal?)
After wondering about it in his head, he suddenly hears a family voice that seems like a response to his question. It is Claire's voice.
(—agic core...)
(What?)
He is receiving her words within him, but he cannot clearly understand her. Since he gets out of the soul-scape, the communication between them is poor and he needs to fully concentrate on his thoughts in order to get a proper signal.
In the soul-scape, his soul is actually idling in the soul vessel. His surface thoughts are resonating inside where Claire can clearly hear as long as she holds on the vessel. In addition, she can observe the physical world through his eyes, which would greatly help her assist him in battle as a secondary caster.
(Damn. What a hassle.)
It has become a burden to him as he cannot focus on his surroundings when he wants to have a conversation with her. He is planning on finding a way to communicate with her like an ability to run separate thoughts.
After falling to the depths of his mind, he is able to connect with Claire. (What are you going to say again?)
(I said you shouldn't break my magic core. It is essential for my revival just in case. I just discovered that my soul isn't disappearing at all when the disintegration should have started a little while ago.)
(So you are not going to disappear? How was that even possible?)
(I don't know. But it probably has something to do with your soul-scape. Unlike the other soul space that I have seen, yours are definitely exceptional.)
(How so?)
(While others have images and mirages of something that anchors them to the physical world like their precious memories, but yours are just endless darkness void of anything. Possibly for that reason, my soul is able to linger here longer than usual.)
There was a time when Claire experimented with the Astral Invasion on a few test subjects, mostly random bandits and criminals no one would care if they died.
During the experiment, she found out that souls last inside another's soul space proportional to their willpower. The greater their willpower, the longer she could last inside their soul-scape if she were to stay in the spirit plane and not to overtake their body.
Based on that, she concludes that Azrael's willpower is not only more powerful than hers, but also provides her more time to stay 'alive' inside him. She does not know how long she can stay, so she pleads to him not to destroy her magic core as it is needed for her possible resurrection if she were to find a new body to takeover.
(I see. So you will be going to get a physical body, huh. And you happened to need this core...)
Azrael pauses to focus before he opens his gryphon mouth wide. Inside, he is maneuvering his tongue and slithering it deep inside him. After a few movements, he gets what he wants and pulls it out of his throat.
When he sticks out his tongue, it is already holding a golf ball-sized gem with a purple hue. That is Claire's magic core. He carefully dismantles it from her decaying corpse.
(What are you going to do with that?) Claire nervously asks.
(Remember when you said you will offer your body if I let you live? I think I am going to accept that. I will not allow you to be resurrected unless you are true to your words. Let's make that deal.)
(...I never thought you were that kind of being. A lustful beast. You do even have the body to use me? I would never do it with a monster.)
(Sigh. You know what? I can actually take the form of anything I eat. I can actually take your form since my body just fully digested it. All I need is to find a good-looking man to become my base for my human form. What do you think of that?)
She thinks about it for some time. Azrael is basically threatening her revival by taking ahold of her magic core, making it collateral in case she does not like his demands. In the end, she decides what to do as she is left with no choice.
(As long as you help me come back to life, I don't mind offering my loyalty to you.)
(Nice. That's a deal. Let's discuss the details later. For now, sit back there for a while and watch me beat their asses. I would like it if you tell me what they can do...)
A few minutes goes by, the humans have reached the eighth floor of the dungeon. There, they will face a monster that is beyond their comprehension.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
Some time later, in the capital city of the Kingdom of Roheazul, the city of Rague, where the royal palace is located.
In a certain chamber in the palace, an old man in a crimson robe is sitting behind his desk. He is not that old, around the early sixties, and his slicked-back blue hair is starting to show streaks of gray hair.
Judging by how regal and grand his garments are, anyone can assume that he is something in a high position. In fact, he is none other than the current king of the kingdom, King Henry Ashvale the second.
At his desk, he is resting his elbows on the table while his hands overlap one another as he is gravely listening to a middle-aged man standing before him. The man is the supreme commander of the Knights Order of the kingdom by the name of Blumm Clavier.
"...Am I hearing it right? The Great Sorceress is missing?"
"It is very unfortunate, Your Majesty, but it is what it said in the reports."
"That can't be right. Are you certain that she is indeed missing?"
"According to the reports, it's been three days since she entered the newly discovered dungeon and hasn't come back to the surface. The party who was tasked to accompany her hasn't come back either."
"Didn't she also be accompanied by the knights?"
"She was, but she went ahead to the dungeon with the party through teleportation with reminding anyone. She probably cannot wait for a day-long trip and went straight to it in an instant."
"That woman... I know that her hunger for knowledge is insatiable, but going to a dangerous place like that. She's the kingdom's most powerful individual. I shouldn't have let her go to that dungeon. But it's too late."
The king's face glooms and then he lowers his head, indicating how serious the situation is. Even though Blumm rarely interacts with the Great Sorceress, he is well-aware of her capabilities and losing her would greatly affect the kingdom.
"What should we do, Your Majesty."
"We aren't entirely certain of her situation yet." The king raises his head. "We will command a rescue operation to save her. Blumm, deploy the knights to the dungeon. If possible, please summon him here to the palace."
"Him, huh? His party would be a great help. I understand, Your Majesty. I will leave now."
After bobbing his upper body to the king, Blumm promptly leaves the king's office. The king then lets out a sigh before he stands up from his seat and walks towards the wall of his windowless office, staring at a painting of the current royal family.
(I know that it was the empire behind this. Those bastards are cooperating with our nobles to weaken the kingdom from within. If the hero failed on this mission, the doom of the kingdom would have been sealed.)
With hope in his eyes, King Henry leaves his office.