Allen took out several transparent, walnut-sized crystals from his Space Ring and held them in his hand.

He had purchased these specifically before setting out, as they could be used to preserve souls.

[Soul Processing Technique]!

As he activated this Core Witchcraft for the first time, an invisible wave of Spiritual Power radiated out from him.

A faint, smoke-like phantom was forcibly stripped from the corpse of the recently slain leader. It twisted and struggled in the air, letting out a silent roar.

The crystal flared to life, generating an irresistible pull that yanked the soul phantom inside, sealing it within.

Immediately after, two dimmer souls floated up from the corpses of the other two Violent Apes that had been finished off nearby. They were all collected into two other crystals.

’What a shame. The souls of the first three, the ones blown to bits by "Final Interpretation Authority," dissipated too quickly to be captured.’

Allen calculated inwardly. ’A small loss, I suppose.’

He put away the crystals containing the three souls, then took out a set of dissection tools. With swift, practiced motions, he sliced open the throats of the three corpses and dug out three fist-sized crystals that were still warm to the touch.

This object was the source of the Volcanic Fierce Ape’s ability to fire high-heat rays. It was extremely hard and hadn’t been damaged in the explosion. It was also the core material Allen needed for the "Pacifist’s" main cannon array.

Allen wiped the blood from the Transformation Crystals. He then walked to the center of the massive crater and collected three more from among the severed limbs.

’Six Transformation Crystals. Just one more to go.’

After all that, he didn’t leave right away. Instead, he dug up the Directional Mines he had personally planted, disarmed their fuses, and retrieved them.

’Leaving them here could cause unnecessary trouble if some unlucky apprentice happened to wander by and get blown up.’

Once the battlefield was clear, Allen checked the time. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

’The explosion was too loud. The female Violent Apes back in the nest must have heard it.’

’Right now, they’re either spooked and on high alert, or they’re getting ready to relocate with their young.’

’I have to hurry.’

He hopped onto his "Nightwing Mark III" and took off. The eight Spider Slayers followed on the ground, their metal limbs moving silently as they transformed into gray-black blurs, speeding toward the nest on the distant mountainside.

...

The massive cave entrance was pitch-black, and nothing was visible inside. However, the thermal imaging on his Insight Glasses picked up traces of biological activity within.

Allen hovered in midair on his Flying Skateboard, taking out one ice-blue grenade after another from his Space Ring.

Frost Bombs.

’Perfect for dealing with fire-attribute Magical Beasts like these.’

Allen didn’t hesitate and issued his orders.

"One, Two, and Three, block the left exit. Four, Five, and Six, block the rear exit. The other two will provide frontal suppression with me. Seal the entrance!"

The eight Spider Slayers instantly fanned out, blocking every escape route. The dark muzzles of their sniper modules, like the eyes of death itself, aimed into the depths of the cave.

The Violent Apes inside sensed something was wrong and immediately tried to break out through the front with their young.

Just then, a scorching ray of intense heat shot out from deep within the cave, melting one of the Spider Slayers into a puddle of molten metal.

Seeing this, Allen knew the Magical Beasts were about to charge. He immediately activated Craftsman’s Hand.

Two giant, invisible hands of force materialized out of thin air. Each grabbed more than twenty Frost Bombs and hurled them deep into the cave.

CLINK... CLANK...

The sound of the grenades striking the rock walls echoed through the cave, startlingly clear.

A series of muffled explosions followed.

A visible torrent of white, cold air blasted out of the entrance, coating the nearby rocks in a thin layer of frost. A few roars of shock and fury from deep inside the cave were instantly frozen, cut short.

The entire world fell silent.

Allen waited quietly for a dozen seconds or so.

[DSeek: Magic Power signals within the cave have significantly weakened. Body temperature signatures have dropped to abnormal lows. Counter-attack capabilities neutralized.]

"Go in."

Two Spider Slayers acted as the vanguard, entering first with silent steps.

Allen followed close behind, stepping into the frigid nest.

The cave’s interior resembled a natural stone hall.

Three slightly smaller female Violent Apes were frozen in place, curled stiffly on the ground as if trying to shield something behind them with their bodies.

’They weren’t frozen solid, even after all those bombs?’

Still, their fur was caked with ice crystals, and every breath they exhaled was a puff of white mist. They were clearly suffering from severe frostbite.

When they saw Allen enter, they struggled to rise, but found it difficult to even stand.

Allen gave them no opportunity.

"Kill them."

At the cold command, the sniper modules of the Spider Slayers began to glow.

Several beams of light flashed past, precisely piercing the skulls of the three female Violent Apes.

The battle was over before they could even fight back.

He pushed aside the corpses of the female Violent Apes and saw what they had been protecting.

Four small creatures, shivering from the cold, were huddled together. They stared with terrified eyes at the intruder who had just slaughtered their mothers. They weren’t as ferocious-looking as the adults; in fact, they looked almost... cute.

Allen felt nothing at all.

’Cuteness can’t be eaten, but live cubs can be exchanged for cold, hard Magic Stones.’

He took out several custom-made Binding Collars and, using Craftsman’s Hand, gently but firmly placed one around each of the four little ones’ necks.

The collars automatically tightened to the proper fit and began to release a faint pulse of Magic Power.

The four cubs’ eyelids grew heavy, and they soon drifted off into a deep sleep.

Live Magical Beast cubs always fetched a high price on the market, especially those like this, which grew into powerful combatants. They were a sought-after commodity among the Advanced Apprentices of the Contract School. ’These four should sell for at least four thousand Low-Level Magic Stones.’

Allen stepped forward and repeated the process from before, collecting three Transformation Crystals and three souls.

With this, he had exceeded the seven Transformation Crystals required for his mission.

After taking care of that, Allen began a thorough search of the entire nest.

Soon, in a corner in the deepest part of the cave, he discovered a crude "treasury."

A large pile of glittering objects was heaped there. It included fist-sized Fire Element Crystals and the brightly polished bones of some unknown Magical Beast, which were apparently the Violent Apes’ toys.

[Preliminary Assessment: Total value of these materials is no less than 2,500 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

Allen nodded in satisfaction.

’The total profit from this hunt has far exceeded my expectations, and there weren’t any hitches.’

’Nine Transformation Crystals, seven souls, four live cubs, and a small pile of materials.’

’After factoring in the costs of this operation, the net profit is more than enough to support the next phase of my Mechanical Body upgrade plan.’

He stored all his spoils in the Space Ring and left the cave, satisfied.