This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

Chapter 499 - 499: Serena's Struggle

Kain stepped into the chamber, the golden light washing away the bone-deep pain that had been lingering since the battle yesterday, replaced by a soothing sensation that seemed to seep into his very core. His eyes quickly scanned the room, taking in the sight of the raised dais at the center and the figure lying motionless upon it while 4 spiritual creatures surrounded her in concern.

Serena.

Her silver hair fanned out around her like a halo, and her hands were clasped over her chest as if in prayer. The sight of her so still, so vulnerable, sent an unfamiliar pang through his chest. But before he could even take a step forward, the illusionary Prismarin beside him shimmered and then vanished.

Kain blinked. "Huh?"

A soft rustling sound drew his attention to the center of the room. One of Serena's contracts—a much larger, more substantial Prismarin—the Prismarin's true body—had just opened its eyes. The creature stretched lazily before locking onto Kain, its expression unreadable.

For a long moment, they simply stared at each other.

Then Kain, ever tactful, tilted his head and muttered, "You're a lot fatter than I remember."

The Prismarin froze mid-stretch. Then, in a high-pitched voice tinged with offense it yelled, "EXCUSE me?!"

Kain stiffened, his eyes widening. "...You can talk?"

The crystalline creature huffed, flipping its ears dramatically. "Of course, I can talk! Do you think I just hop around chirping like some simple-minded rabbit all day?"

Kain narrowed his eyes. "I mean... Yes."

The Prismarin made a sound somewhere between a snort and a chime, clearly offended. "First of all, I am not 'fat.' I am perfectly proportioned, and adorably plump! Second, if you must know, my consciousness in one of my illusions was simply limited while I've been multitasking, thank you very much."

Kain tilted his head. "Multitasking?"

The Prismarin lifted its head with exaggerated pride. "Monitoring my illusions. The one that brought you here was just one of many I sent out to

Kain's stomach dropped. "And?"

"Nothing."

The word hung in the air heavily, and Kain felt almost as if he'd been sucker punched in the gut.

Balens, the contract with the power to make any wish come true through equivalent exchange—failed? That didn't make sense. Even if the cost had been outrageous, it should have at least worked. Kain's gaze flickered between the glowing contract and Serena's unmoving form, his mind racing with possibilities.

Something was very wrong.

Kain frowned, his mind racing. He glanced back at Serena, her pale form lying motionless on the dais. "So, what now? Is there anything in these ruins that can help her? You've been scouring the place, right? Did you find anything?"

The Prismarin nodded, its luminous eyes flickering with a glimmer of hope. "Yes, that's why I sent out my illusions. I've been searching for anything that might help Serena, and I did find a few things. But I needed someone to retrieve them—someone with a storage device. That's why I led you here."

Kain's heavy heart lightened softly at the knowledge that there was some hope in sight.

The Prismarin's ears perked up, and it turned to gesture toward the strange mechanical devices Kain had stored earlier. "Those devices you collected—one of them may possess the potential to withdraw the contamination in her spiritual power. If we can activate them, they might be able to purify Serena's spiritual energy and wake her up. But we'll need to figure out how to use them first."