Corpse Mother

This might be the only chance. If he missed it, there would never be another.

Simon descended along the building. Perhaps this creature was too terrifying; the multitude of monsters originally gathered below had vanished. Neither corpse beasts nor sea spiders were in sight. The twenty-ninth and twenty-eighth floors were entirely empty.

He quickly sank to the twenty-sixth floor and saw floating corpses in the water. These corpses, once entwined with semi-transparent tendrils, had now been stripped of them. The tendrils were all converging upward, concentrating their efforts on the frenzied Nightmare Beast.

"What kind of monster is this? Are those countless semi-transparent tendrils its true form? Or is its body still below?"

Simon pondered silently as he continued to descend, keeping his distance. He used the building for cover, ready to retreat quickly if necessary. He activated his "scrying sigil" several times but couldn't capture any information about the tendrils.

The further down he went, the more corpses he saw—not just human, but various monstrous ones. The number of semi-transparent tendrils increased as well.

As the tendrils intertwined more densely, the Nightmare Beast above was gradually ensnared. Countless tendrils formed a massive cocoon, trapping the Nightmare Beast within. The cocoon was dragging the beast downward.

Simon had reached the twentieth floor when he looked up and saw the enormous cocoon pulling the Nightmare Beast down. Realizing the danger, he hadn't anticipated the Nightmare Beast being captured so quickly. His hope of benefiting from a protracted struggle between the two monsters was dashed.

He halted, sighing quietly. With the opportunity lost, he thought of leaving. 

Suddenly, the semi-transparent cocoon exploded. Startled, Simon quickly understood: the Nightmare Beast, though bound, was not dead. Dragged downward and seemingly powerless, it had unleashed a "super-sonic attack" at the crucial moment.

The immense power of the "super-sonic attack" shattered the cocoon, severing numerous tendrils and dealing a heavy blow to the unknown creature below. The Nightmare Beast, still impaled by broken tendrils, desperately thrashed its limbs, trying to ascend and escape.

Though the cocoon had exploded, severing countless tendrils, the Nightmare Beast, clearly terrified of the unknown entity, had no intention of fighting back and only sought to escape swiftly.

At that moment, an enormous mass of semi-transparent material emerged from the depths below. Simon, hiding in a distant corner of the building, widened his eyes in astonishment. He finally saw the "big flower" Lily had described.

Indeed, there was a massive, semi-transparent flower submerged in the deep waters. This flower had six petals, each spanning over ten meters when fully opened. The countless tendrils all originated from these petals.

The most bizarre aspect was the center of the flower, which bore not a stamen, but a face. From his distant vantage point, Simon could only make out a vague human likeness, with indistinct features.

A semi-transparent flower with a human face at its center and tendrils growing from its petals—Simon had never imagined such a strange and eerie creature existed. Even a brief glance filled him with inexplicable fear.

The flower creature had initially ensnared the Nightmare Beast and was poised to drag it down and devour it. However, the Nightmare Beast's super-sonic attack had shattered the cocoon, allowing it to escape. Now, relying on the tendrils to recapture it was futile.

The flower's true form finally emerged. The six-petaled bloom, with its human face, surged from the depths at incredible speed, pursuing the fleeing Nightmare Beast.

Simon activated his "scrying sigil" once more, and this time, as he observed the flower with the human face, he managed to capture some information.

"Corpse Mother, a mysterious life form rooted in the earth, harboring a secret treasure. It draws sustenance from the aura of corpses, and its root is its only fatal weakness. Severing the root can kill the Corpse Mother and reveal its hidden treasure."

The information resonated in Simon's mind, causing his heart to pound.

"So, this creature is called 'Corpse Mother'," Simon thought, watching the flower swiftly rise, catching up with the Nightmare Beast in a flash. The petals closed around the Nightmare Beast, ensnaring it once more.

The Nightmare Beast struggled violently within the enfolding petals. Simon noticed a slender green stem beneath the giant flower, no thicker than an adult's arm, extending deep into the water.

Recalling the newly acquired information, Simon realized that this stem, rooted in the ground, was the Corpse Mother's sole weakness. Severing it would kill the creature.

Moreover, slaying the Corpse Mother would yield a mysterious treasure from within.

This thought made Simon's heart race.

"Lily mentioned the 'big flower,' referring to the Corpse Mother. The treasure she spoke of must be the mysterious artifact within it. Its stem is its only weakness. No wonder it didn't initially use its main body to capture the Nightmare Beast, as that would expose its stem and reveal its vulnerability."

Simon looked up at the trembling Corpse Mother. The Nightmare Beast, still struggling within the flower's embrace, seemed to be weakening rapidly. Unless it could deploy another sonic attack, its chances of escape were slim.

"Should I take the risk? The opportunity is slipping away; the Nightmare Beast is about to succumb."

Conflicted, Simon tightened his grip on the machete, his hand tensing as veins bulged prominently. The stem wasn't thick; one strike should sever it. However, what made Simon hesitate was the uncertainty. Would the Corpse Mother die instantly upon the stem being cut, or would it struggle for a while before perishing? 

Even the formidable Nightmare Beast had been easily ensnared. If he cut the stem and the Corpse Mother didn't die immediately, he would be doomed.

"But according to the scrying sigil's message, this scenario seems unlikely. Severing the stem should kill it instantly."

The thought made Simon's heart pound fiercely.

"Lily's 'big flower' refers to the Corpse Mother, and the treasure she mentioned must be the mysterious artifact within it. Its stem is the only weakness. No wonder it didn't initially use its main body to capture the Nightmare Beast, as that would expose the stem and reveal its vulnerability."

Simon looked up at the trembling Corpse Mother. The Nightmare Beast, still struggling within the flower's embrace, was weakening rapidly. Unless it could deploy another sonic attack, its chances of escape were slim.

"Should I take the risk? The opportunity is slipping away; the Nightmare Beast is about to succumb."

Conflicted, Simon tightened his grip on the machete, his hand tensing as veins bulged prominently. The stem wasn't thick; one strike should sever it. However, what made Simon hesitate was the uncertainty. Would the Corpse Mother die instantly upon the stem being cut, or would it struggle for a while before perishing?

Even the formidable Nightmare Beast had been easily ensnared. If he cut the stem and the Corpse Mother didn't die immediately, he would be doomed.

"But according to the scrying sigil's message, this scenario seems unlikely. Severing the stem should kill it instantly."