Ugly looking thing

The silver limousine veered to a stop and parked at the front door of the Raubenheimer mansion. The chauffeur stepped out of the driver's seat and opened the door for Madam Begonia, Nivea, Amica, Reggie, and Iode. Emily and Sofia would also be joining them.

Iode stared in awe at the sleek, elongated vehicle.

"What is that? A magic device made by humans?" he asked, surprised. Everyone turned their heads to look at him, each wearing a puzzled expression.

"Iode, you silly! A magic device? That's a car—a limousine," Amica laughed. "You're so funny."

"Haha, Iode could be one hell of a jester," Nivea added, giving him a playful smack. Then she leaned closer and whispered, "Whatever question you have, don't say it out loud. Ask me or Reggie. The humans might get suspicious."

"Oh… hahaha, indeed. Silly me," Iode smiled innocently.

They all entered the vehicle and began their journey toward the city center. Iode couldn't stop staring in awe at the vehicle's intricate design—the seats, the windows, the seamless movement—it all marveled him.

Back on Heaters, magic devices were tools created to boost already established magic. One such device was the Warp Gate—a tool used to teleport large groups of people across vast distances using external energy sources like mana stones for fuel.

Iode still had a lot of questions about the car's mechanisms, but his jaw dropped again when he saw the towering skyscrapers, the numerous cars driving along the roads, and the streams of people walking to and fro. He couldn't help but be amazed. However, something caught his attention.

'With the draconic powers Tony granted me, I was able to see the cores of living beings. It's one of the abilities of the Dragon Man. Even when not activated, I can still see, hear, and smell things beyond normal perception.'

'Among the things I see are cores. They're like souls but can only be found in the living—not the dead. And usually, all of them appear grey, regardless of species or race.'

'But now, maybe because of the Clairvoyance of Flaw, I can see color variations in the cores. From what I've observed, humans possess golden cores. Those two demon brats have scarlet red cores, and mine is purple. I think I understand now why this world is called the "Golden Realm"—it's because of those golden cores.'

'However, something still baffles me. Earth is brimming with mana—it's literally floating in the air—yet none of the humans I've seen possess any. Not even a trace of a mana vessel, pool, or channel.'

'What's so terrifying about a race this weak and powerless? I can't believe these are the same humans Igor, Zenobios, and Valier claimed were the ancestors of every nation on Heaters except the Kaiju. They don't even have a shred of mana.'

Iode continued pondering while staring out the window.

After a thirty-minute drive, they finally reached their destination. Seven individuals stepped out of the limousine: Iode, Reggie, Nivea, Amica, Madam Begonia, Sofia, and Emily.

They stood in front of an enormous shopping mall, with expansive parking spaces and wide, tall buildings. People ceaselessly moved in and out of the structure. It was clearly a popular location.

"SPRINGSCENT ISLAND SHOPPING MALL," Iode read aloud from the large sign atop the building.

"Apparently, we're on Springscent Island—a city island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean," Reggie said.

"Today looks nice. The sun is shining, the clouds are floating in a blue sky... Too bad I have to spend such a fine day doing something as frivolous as shopping," Iode muttered.

The group of seven headed toward the entrance of the mall. As they walked, Iode spotted a grotesque creature with a bizarre-looking face. Its long, scarlet-colored body curled itself around a listless human.

The creature had a long mouth filled with serrated teeth, four of which were longer than the rest—sticking out like scimitars. Its eyes were black, with red pupils. The creature smiled maliciously as it slithered and coiled around the human.

The man, who was pushing a trolley full of groceries toward a red car, looked tired, overwhelmed, and emotionally drained. From his body, a dark substance oozed out, which the creature eagerly absorbed.

"What on Heaters is that ugly-looking thing?" Iode said, disgusted...