Chapter 81: Sapling
Outside their tent, Max found Charlotte preparing some succulent meat for their meal. They weren’t truly starving, but sharing a hearty dish with everyone would definitely soothe their rattled nerves.
Besides, the sky on the Third Floor always remained exactly the same, so there was no proper day or night, and one simply needed to maintain their own personal sense of time.
After all, even the clocks refused to work on this peculiar floor.
Even though it had been such a long while since the Labyrinth descended upon the world, it was still brimming with strangeness and mysteries nobody could explain.
Max went to sit on a wooden log beside her and asked, "Looks delicious. How long will it take?"
"Should be done in a few minutes," Charlotte replied, still focused on her work. "You already assimilated the Mana Shards of the Forlorn Mimic?"
"Yeah, about that—can you take a look at me?" Max asked. "I’ve heard this type of monster leaves marks in its Mana Shards, sort of like a curse, and sometimes even a sapling of its core."
By then, Charlotte had finished cooking the meat and handed the juicy meal to him. It was stuffed with her special seasoning, which she had actually mixed specifically for their group.
His words intrigued her, and she asked, "I’ve never heard anything like that. How does it work?"
While enjoying the meal, Max explained, "Only Diamond Rank and higher can sense that mark on others, and those who carry it can’t distinguish it from their normal mana. So, it’s probably hidden information to keep mass panic under control."
"But that’s dangerous."