As we ventured deeper into the forest, Shade periodically signaled the proximity of the boss. Upon reaching a specific area, she warned me again about the imminent presence of the boss up ahead. With this information, I instructed the girls to remain on high alert.

This time, we planned to focus the damage mainly on myself and Leona, as the boss has the ability to devour mana, making magical abilities less viable. Although we're not sure to what extent its abilities go, we're not counting on the possibility of it instantly nullifying our magical attacks.

Therefore, Saemi, Fujiwara, Aoi, and Ana will stay at a distance, providing cover for me and Leona with long-range magical attacks. I wasn't sure how effective it would be, but in the end, we always dealt with situations on the fly, and there's always the option to retreat if we can't defeat the boss.

While these thoughts permeated my mind, a touch on my clothes caught my attention. Turning my gaze in the direction of the contact, I found Leona staring ahead. Her determined gaze indicated something in front of us. Following Leona's gaze, I held my breath instantly, faster than I thought possible.

(That thing is probably the boss)

I transmitted telepathically in an attempt to avoid attracting the creature's attention towards us. Although I received no response, I observed the girls nodding in acknowledgment of the monster.

Its form is an amalgamation of dense shadows and a viscous substance that writhes incessantly. Sharp claws and tentacles extend from its dark mass. Its eyes glow with a sinister luminescence, reflecting the magical energy it consumes.

Unfortunately, my attempt was in vain. Before I realized it, the monster had already turned its face in our direction, its eyes shining with an energy that seemed to penetrate our true essences.

Suddenly, while I was distracted by that thing, an agonizing roar echoed through the area. It was like a mix of crying with the sound of an out-of-tune piano, or maybe I was simply going crazy at this point.

As the screams subsided, the monster began to rise. Although it was in a small amount, I could feel my mana being drawn to the monster against my will. Still, I was holding up. Ironically, my mana was extremely large, but that didn't mean it was infinite.

I probably wouldn't be able to hold on for more than two hours; that was my time limit. The worst was certainly for the girls. If that thing got close to them, they would be defenseless in a few minutes. While this thought crossed my mind, Aurora-sama's voice echoed after some time.

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"Hmm... it's been a while since I last saw a Voragex. I thought they were already extinct. Well, anyway, I'll give you a tip, Makoto"

Aurora-sama said with an energetic voice. Although I was initially surprised that Aurora-sama seemed to know what that thing was, I quickly calmed down. It wasn't actually that strange since Aurora-sama is a goddess.

(Do you know what this thing is, Aurora-sama?)

As soon as I asked, Aurora-sama's thoughtful voice echoed in my mind. Shortly after, she answered aloud.

"Voragex are blind monsters, but that also grants them the ability to “see mana” and it's this method they use to hunt their prey. So, here's a question for you, my dear Makoto, what criteria do you think they use to choose their prey?"

Upon hearing this, I realized what Aurora-sama was getting at. Moreover, upon reflecting for a moment, the answer to this question also seemed obvious. Without saying a word to Aurora-sama, I started running in the opposite direction of the girls, trying to distance myself from them.

(I'll share the plan with you. Despite looking scary and being blind, it hunts its prey based on the amount of mana. I'll lure it away from you, so look for an opening to attack. Leona, I leave the decision to start the attack to you. If the situation gets dangerous, remember to retreat; your safety is the priority)

After conveying my thoughts to them, I redirected my attention to the monster. As predicted by Aurora-sama, it followed the prey with the highest amount of mana, namely, me. Satisfied to see that the plan was working, I began zigzagging through the trees. Even though its appearance didn't suggest it, the creature was incredibly fast.

This thing, in addition to having a huge mouth, seems to have no hind legs. Therefore, it moves basically by crawling. Initially, I thought it would be slow, but it turned out to be the complete opposite. Even running at my maximum speed, this thing could still keep up.

If it weren't for the trees, it probably would have caught up to me by now. Furthermore, my mana is being drained at a terrible speed. If it continues like this, I'll run out of mana before we can counterattack.

So, as I passed by another tree, I quickly jumped up, positioning myself on the branch. The monster, as I expected, didn't get lost, as it could still sense my mana. However, this gave me more than enough time to counterattack.

"Aura Manipulation"

After uttering these words, I leaped onto the monster, my body filled with a mysterious force, as if something unknown was inflating my lungs. I delivered a powerful punch to the monster's head, eliciting a pained scream. After the blow, I jumped again, and once more, the monster was struck, this time by Leona, sending it flying and colliding with several trees in its path.

"Nice exchange, Leona"

I said, giving her a high-five. Then, we turned our attention back to the monster. After shaking its head, it glared at us with even more rage than before, letting out a deafening roar before charging at us again.

At this point, Leona and I separated once more. As I had imagined, bringing her along was the right decision. In addition to her incredible physical strength, Leona's Demi-human nature made her practically invisible to the monster.