I contemplated how to deliver a decisive blow to the chimera, but due to the immense size of its body, pinpointing its core would be challenging.
Regrettably, locating the core was essential for defeating the chimera, as any other attack would prove ineffective due to its regenerative capabilities.
Up until this point, I had conserved my mana. During the encounter with enemies outside the cave, I expended no mana, and when assaulting the chimera's tentacles, I used as little mana as possible.
This conservation allowed me the option of using Merlina for a singular powerful attack or Geronimo for a greater number of attacks. However, deploying Merlina would deplete all my mana instantly, rendering me defenseless. Therefore, the safer choice was to use my mana on Geronimo.
Unfortunately, regardless of how much mana I had stored, it would be impossible to recover enough in this brief period to thoroughly search the chimera's entire body for the core. Randomly attacking its body would likely deplete my mana before finding the core.
To complicate matters, the chimera's toxic green smoke could be fatal, especially in my near-mana-less state. To avoid exposure, I considered launching myself directly onto the chimera's main body, preventing it from secreting toxic smoke towards me since it would be exposed as well.
'To find its nucleus, all that remains is to use that option...'
I did have a dangerous method for locating the core within the chimera's massive body.
'All I have to do is use my mana like a radar to find the core inside its body.'
However, to execute this, I had to touch the main body directly. The time it would take me to find the core and the inevitable counterattack from the chimera made it a risky proposition.
It was a race against time—whether I could find the nucleus faster than the chimera could kill me.
The situation reminded me of a risky bet I made during the last World Cup, betting on my country's football team to win against the world runner-up in the round of 16.
I licked my lips.
"Angelica, lower me slowly above the chimera so it doesn't detect me."
Angelica nodded at my words and, with difficulty, moved my body up onto the chimera, lowering it slowly.
As I descended, I devised a bold plan to divert the chimera's attention. I drew Merlina, poured out some of my mana, and hurled it towards the chimera's body like a projectile. The chimera would be alerted to the attack the moment the sword pierced its body. However, by throwing the sword in the opposite direction of my descent, the chimera would focus on that area, ignoring my presence.
As expected, the chimera reacted to the area where I had thrown my sword, completely ignoring my descent. Seizing the opportunity, I touched the surface of the chimera and used my mana as a radar to explore its body.
The chimera quickly detected the foreign mana circulating inside its body, but finding the point of origin was not difficult.
I chuckled. 'I found it, hahaha!'
Without wasting time, I sprinted toward the chimera's core, located where I sensed it.
Everything seemed to be going well until suddenly everything started to go wrong.
'!!!'
'What? The core should be around here!'
Surprisingly, I couldn't find any sign of the core. I used my mana again to locate it and widened my eyes in shock.
'The core... it moved?'
The chimera's core had changed its location entirely in this short period.
'Somehow, the chimera knew it had to protect its core, its most vulnerable place, and managed to move it to hide it...'
But to execute such a maneuver, intelligence was required.
Before I could complete my thoughts, tentacle-like arms grabbed me from the ground, emerging from the surface of the chimera's body on which I stood.
'I can't move at all!'
Despite my superhuman physical strength, in my current state of exhaustion and low mana, I was unable to break free from the grasp of the arms. I was forcibly moved by the chimera's arms, heightening my uncertainty.
The first question that arose was why the chimera held me to immobilize me instead of attacking me directly.
Or more importantly, where was it taking me?
Unable to find answers, I waited patiently to see where the chimera was leading me.
After a short period, I discovered the answer.
"Y-you're not going to eat me, right?"
I found myself facing what seemed to be the face of the Chimera, a giant mouth with a multitude of teeth, resembling a desert worm from a certain science fiction movie.
While preparing for the worst and devising a countermeasure to escape, a voice, sounding like a multitude of people speaking simultaneously, emanated from the giant worm's mouth.
'...'
To be honest, this revelation shocked me. Though I had considered the possibility of the chimera developing a certain level of intelligence, I did not expect it to communicate in this manner, especially assuring me that it wouldn't harm me.
Fortunately, my experiences in this world had prepared me for such bizarre situations.
"If what you say is true, why wouldn't you want to hurt me?"
This was a valid question, considering I had come with the sole intention of exterminating the chimera. From the chimera's perspective, I should be a dangerous enemy threatening its life.
The chimera's response came swiftly.
"[[[[[We have no reason to be hostile toward you....]]]]]]"
"[[[[[[When we absorbed the man leading the lab in our previous attack, we gained some level of control over this body, and we have already killed those guilty of turning us into this monster... so we have no reason to want to fight you...]]]]]]"
"[[[[[...Now, we just want to get out of this suffering we are trapped in.]]]]]]"
"[[[[[Please.]]]]]]"
"[[[[[Help us.]]]]]]"
The chimera requested my help in ending its life.
'We?'
I widened my eyes in surprise, realizing I was conversing with the collective consciousness of the kidnapped men from the village who were used as materials to give the chimera intelligence. Absorbing the head of the laboratory had somehow united the consciences of all those people, creating a new entity with intelligence that took control of the chimera's body.
Despite the credibility of the chimera's statements, I still harbored a significant concern.
"If you intended to die, why did you resist by hiding your core?"
If its intention was to die, it could have remained still without resisting my attacks.
Curiosity gnawed at me, and the chimera's response surpassed my expectations.
"[[[[[We wanted someone to talk to before we disappeared.]]]]]]"
I widened my eyes and raised my eyebrows.
"D-Did you want to talk?"
The unexpected answer took me by surprise, yet considering what they had endured, it wasn't entirely unreasonable.
Thus, a conversation unfolded between the chimera and me, though the content deviated significantly from my expectations.
"You've got to be kidding."
"Is what you told me true?"
"[[[[[...]]]]]]"
"But something so terrible-" I couldn't continue my words because the chimera interrupted me.
"[[[[
[Thank you for taking the time to listen to us and... talk to us... the moment of our death has finally arrived... we can no longer retain our consciousness any longer, soon we will act like a monster again, and who knows for how long....]]]]]]"
Suddenly, a hole appeared in the chimera's body, revealing something akin to a beating heart within.
It was the chimera's core.
"[[[[[Please... Destroy our core while we're still in control.]]]]]]"
Upon hearing the desperate plea of the chimera, I nodded.
I felt a mixture of pity and respect for the chimera, choosing death even in its dire circumstances. I promised not to forget the exchange we had.
Exchanging one last look with the chimera, I used my sword, charged with the last of my mana, to deliver a slash into the chimera's exposed core.
At that moment, the core was successfully destroyed, and I heard a faint "Thanks."