This was a cave.
Irregular protrusions formed by nature jutted from the ceiling, and because of the low temperature, moisture gathered above and dripped down in rhythmic droplets.
“Ruite, what do you mean by that?”
Ruite pointed to the puddle where Ciel had earlier collected the monster’s body fluid.
At a casual glance, it didn’t look much different than before.
Just as everyone began to wonder, ‘Why that?’, a droplet of water from the ceiling fell—plop—right into the puddle.
“…Ah.”
In that moment, Ciel let out a low hum of realization.
“What? What is it?”
Varen looked back and forth between Ruite and Ciel, practically begging for an explanation.
“It seems the fluid these monsters coat themselves with has the property of being easily soluble in water.”
“Water?”
As Varen tilted his head, Ruite told him to look closely at the puddle.
Where the droplets fell, gentle ripples spread, and the thick fluid thinned out and dispersed.
Just as Ciel had said, the monsters used that fluid to protect their bodies from strong external impacts, but that very armor was weak against water.
No matter how strong or tricky a monster’s traits might be, every single one had a weakness.
Humans were the same, after all.
“Oh, I get it! Well, that’s perfect. I’m definitely glad I came instead of Chester.”
Varen clapped his hands loudly as it finally clicked, flashing a bright grin.
“Why is that?”
“Varen’s primary attribute is water.”
Ciel answered Ruite’s question for him.
This meant that Varen, whose main power was water, was the natural enemy of these creatures.
Varen thought for a moment and immediately formulated a plan on the spot.
Since it was the most efficient method available, Ciel agreed.
Having finished their briefing, the group headed back toward the monsters’ lair.
Stealthily, they stood before the rounded entrance once again.
Ruite and the others waited a short distance away, while only Varen and one assistant knight from the Combat Department stepped closer to the opening.
“Starting now.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Varen took a step inside the entrance and drew a blade from his waist.
On closer inspection, it wasn’t the standard-issue sword provided by the Knights.
The tip was shaped like a sharp, protruding spike.
It was much longer and sturdier than a normal nail; it appeared to be Varen’s personal weapon.
Varen drove the weapon deep into the ground.
In that instant, mana vibrated through the air.
Sensing Varen’s power, the monsters stopped their movements all at once.
Their heads turned toward him.
But by the time they sensed him, it was already too late.
Because of Varen’s action, water was already surging up from the floor of their lair.
Leaving his weapon plunged into the ground, Varen quickly retreated back outside.
“Now!”
This time, the assistant knight who had been waiting behind him stepped forward.
His primary attribute was earth; using the scattered stone debris and soil nearby, he tightly sealed off the entrance.
“It’s done, Captain.”
Receiving the signal, Varen focused his gaze on the blocked entrance.
His mana amplified even further, and from behind the sealed wall, the violent sound of rising water could be heard.
Varen had described it earlier as a plan to fill a bottle with water and then plug it with a cork.
By soaking them completely, the fluid coating their bodies would be washed away, neutralizing their armor.
Furthermore, while water could exert massive force depending on how it was used, it was also an attribute capable of gently constricting an opponent.
Therefore, simply filling the space with water wouldn’t cause the old cave to collapse.
About five minutes had passed since the entrance was sealed.
During that time, the remaining members of the Combat Department who had been waiting outside arrived on the scene after being contacted by Varen.
“Varen, make sure you withdraw the water properly.”
“I will.”
Varen’s mana surged once more.
The faint sound of rushing water gradually faded, and he ordered the seal on the entrance to be removed.
Everyone tightened their combat stances just in case.
The knight removed the earthen “cork.”
As the knight’s hand touched it, the dirt and stone debris came tumbling down.
“…Mission success.”
It was exactly as Varen said.
Unlike the alert combat stances everyone had taken, the interior was silent.
The monsters, doused in water, were slumped over as if drained of strength, crawling slowly across the floor. Their protective fluid had been entirely dissolved away.
Varen immediately ordered the Combat Department to move in.
The rest of the process flowed like water.
The monsters were now like rats in a trap, unable to resist, so the actual subjugation wasn’t difficult at all.
Once the monsters were cleared, Ruite and the Research Department team entered the cave.
It was their job to check for any other noteworthy details now that the monsters were gone and to handle the post-processing.
“Are we taking these carcasses back to headquarters too?” Ruite asked, walking over to Ciel.
“It’s difficult to move carcasses out of a cave, and we’ve already collected enough of their unique fluid, so I don’t think we’ll need the bodies.”
While living here, these Rank 3 monsters had amplified their energy as if resonating with one another.
The amount was so significant that it had withered the plants outside.
Since the carcasses were essentially contaminated, taking them to headquarters wasn’t a great idea.
“It’s better to burn them all here.”
Just then, Varen, who was tidying his weapons in the back, grumbled while holding his communication crystal.
“I just finished one job! You’re telling me to head out again?”
It seemed he had been assigned another task while reporting the successful conclusion of this mission to the situation room.
“Am I the only Captain at headquarters? There are others—ah, Chester is there too!”
Varen clutched the crystal as if he desperately didn’t want to take on back-to-back jobs.
Even though a Knight Captain was a high rank, Ruite found it fascinating that Varen didn’t exude much of that typical dignity or gravity.
“Ignore Varen and let’s get to work. Ruite, did you say your main attribute was fire?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Then help me clear the carcasses.”
Ruite nodded.
“Ciel, do you still need the Combat Department?”
Varen shouted in a resigned voice after finishing his call.
“We’re fine. It sounds urgent, so you can head to the other site.”
Ciel shook his head. Varen actually looked a bit sulky at being told he wasn’t needed, perhaps wanting to stay at this site instead.
“Ruite, do you need me?”
Varen immediately switched targets.
Perhaps having felt some camaraderie, he asked while using Ruite’s name familiarly.
“Captain Ciel just said we don’t, sir.”
“How cold… Fine, we’re heading out. Good luck everyone, see you at headquarters.”
“Yes, sir.”
After Varen’s group left, Ruite set about clearing the monster remains with the rest of the Research Department.
Ciel, Cedric, and Ruite began burning the bodies, while Dane worked on purifying the air inside the cave.
“By the way, Ruite, you did a great job today.”
“Pardon? I didn’t really do much…”
“You figured out the weakness of the fluid. Thanks to that, we suppressed the scene without a major battle.”
Ciel gave a gentle smile.
Ruite simply scratched his head and bowed in thanks.
Though he was just doing his duty as a new member of the Knights, receiving praise made him feel good.
Suddenly, Chester’s face flickered through his mind.
‘I should tell him about today later,’ he thought, before realizing he had instinctively thought of Chester again.
His busy hands stiffened for a moment.
“What is it?”
Ciel tilted his head as Ruite suddenly stopped moving.
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Ruite pushed his embarrassment aside and continued working.
“Um, Captain! You need to see this.”
Just then, Cedric, who had been clearing remains in another corner, called out to Ciel.
“What is it?”
Cedric’s voice sounded unusually serious. Ruite followed Ciel over to him.
“I found these traces in the corner while clearing a carcass. But this looks like…”
As soon as they saw what Cedric was pointing at, Ciel and Ruite froze.
Dark red stains were splattered across the wall, and beneath them, several lumps were scattered on the floor.
“This is…”
“It looks like flesh.”
Ruite was right.
It was human flesh.
Come to think of it, there was one fact Ciel and Varen’s group had forgotten while focusing entirely on the monster subjugation: the whereabouts of the missing villagers.
The original report from Arenve Village was about disappearances.
But these monsters weren’t the type to be violent toward humans.
Just as human personalities vary, so do monsters.
While most perceive humans as enemies to be hunted, some do not.
Some are much weaker than humans and try to live in hiding, while others simply aren’t ferocious enough to intentionally threaten or harm anyone.
The larva-like monsters they had just killed belonged to the latter category.
“Were they eaten by the monsters?”
Cedric looked at Ciel, who wore a grave expression.
“Circumstantially, it seems that way, but I have my doubts. These monsters shouldn’t have any interest in humans, so the idea that they ate them is…”
While the three of them were huddled together examining the remains, Dane was a bit further away, still purifying the monster energy lingering in the area.
His work was nearly finished when a shadow fell over him.
“…”
Dane froze his outstretched hand.
The shadow cast on the cave wall grew larger, wriggling and surging.
Swallowing hard, Dane slowly turned his head.
“Uh…”
One of the monsters that had been sprawled out behind Dane was now standing perfectly upright, staring straight at him.
But that wasn’t the only anomaly.
