Klauthsura stood before the laboratory bench and pinched up a little grayish-white dust between two slender fingers.
Psionic light shone in the Mind Flayer's eyes. Under its probing, the tiny particles trembled faintly, as though still struggling to gather into some sort of form.
"These are the ashes of a Vrock," Renato added from beside it, leaning against the wall next to the laboratory bench with his arms folded. "Its body disintegrated rapidly after it died. The whole process took less than a few seconds."
"This little bottle was all that remained of the entire demon. I collected it bit by bit from the ground, too. I don't think I missed much."
Demon ash was a very precious material. When Balin had upgraded the Silent Lady for Renato, he had used a small bottle of demon ash.
Renato had brought the material he had collected to Klauthsura because the [Adventurer's Guide] could not identify materials, and he had no idea how to use it.
Having the knowledgeable Mind Flayer assess it would also let Renato find out whether these demonic remains had any value he could put to use right now.
Klauthsura released its fingers, and the grayish-white powder floated up under its telekinetic control. After several minutes of examination, the Mind Flayer returned every last trace of ash to the glass bottle with exquisite psionic skill, without spilling a single particle.
"That is because what you saw was not the demon's true body."
The Mind Flayer handed back the bottle of ash and explained:
"The Material Plane rejects beings from other planes, especially chaotic entities of energy from the Lower Planes, such as demons. Ereel's laws are entirely different from those of the Abyss, and the very existence of demons violates these physical laws."
"So the Vrock you saw