The body of the Gatekeeper burned, leaving behind a dark brown sphere, smooth and dense, roughly the size of a fist, sitting in the ruin of the Gatekeeper's chest cavity.
Hide crouched and picked it up.
It was heavier than it looked. Warm in his palm. He thought about storing it in his inventory without looking at it further and the ball vanished without a trace.
Then, from where the beast had died fumes of green energy rose and swirled around Hide's body for a few seconds, confused, and then seeped in.
It was the accumulated life mana of an E-Rank beast that had existed at the center of this loop for long enough. Life mana was like experience that the beasts and humans accumulated in order to grow stronger.
After a beast or a human is killed, the life mana would escape their body and enter the victors body. The accumulation of life mana helped one elevate their class rank.
