Emergency Signal
The emergency signals from Edenberg and Libertas were, as expected, requests for monster subjugation. Not ordinary monsters, either, but creatures that had claimed vast territories and begun actively weaponizing nature itself. We decided to tackle Edenberg’s request first and set out on Ikelos. As we raced through the landscape at high speed, I explained the target to Neon.
“You’re not too familiar with northern monsters yet, are you?”
“I’ve been too busy reinforcing my foundation. Compared to you two, I’m still lacking.”
“Then I’ll fill you in on the way.”
Neon had studied whenever he could, but he still fell short of Adela—who had absorbed knowledge from a northern native and a queen who had survived for decades. Fortunately, the monster we were heading to hunt was one he already knew well.
“We’re dealing with two monsters. And the one we’re hunting right now is someone you’re very familiar with.”
“.....Nepentula.”
Neon’s expression darkened as old memories surfaced. He had spent months playing tag with a juvenile Nepentula, so a touch of PTSD was understandable. Still, he had grown immeasurably stronger since then and carried himself with confidence.
“It’s fine. I’m on a completely different level now compared to back then.”
“For the record, the one we’re facing has six legs. It’s a sub-adult that left its mother’s territory late.”
“Should we just give up?”
His confidence evaporated almost instantly. The word “sub-adult” had reduced him to a quivering mess.
“A sub-adult? How are we supposed to fight something like that?”
Thanks to his recent studies, Neon roughly understood what a sub-adult Nepentula represented. It could wield nature dominion—the mark of a high-ranking monster—and its regeneration and combat prowess were in another league compared to its juvenile stage. Once fully grown, it would become a creature so fearsome that most monsters would avoid its territory entirely. Its vicious temperament was offset by the fact that it remained docile as long as its domain was left untouched; otherwise, the continent might have faced another extinction-level war like those in the past.
We continued the explanation as we approached its territory.
“The sub-adult Nepentula that wandered into Edenberg is particularly cunning.”
“Luna-nim told me about it. It endured in its mother’s territory until it reached sub-adult stage before finally leaving, right? Yet the moment it started building its own domain, it moved without hesitation and threw the surrounding ecosystem into chaos.”
I nodded at Neon’s words. The guild’s information network was exceptionally competent, so verifying the facts had been straightforward. Armed with that intelligence, the guild had immediately mobilized a response—dispatching specialists like us.
“It’s a named request, but support from nearby branches will be arriving as well. This isn’t something a small team can handle alone.”
“Makes sense. A new apex predator has appeared and started competing for territory, so no one knows where the displaced monsters will scatter.”
“Any new predator will make everything around it extremely nervous.”
Nepentula itself was dangerous, but the ecological upheaval it caused was an even bigger problem. For now, the sub-adult had only recently settled in, so things remained manageable. Within a few weeks, however, nearby villages and cities would be forced to restrict all travel due to the spreading chaos.
“Suppressing the disorder early requires a large number of personnel.”
“Even so, the fact that they sent a named request to us means they want us to take the lead on this one.”
“The noble houses probably want to gauge our capabilities.”
That was why they had sent the request directly to us in Edenberg instead of using the local branch. Adela, riding at the front on Ikelos, caught a scent carried on the passing wind.
“I smell people. We’re almost there.”
Several days had already passed since our departure. Given Ikelos’s speed, we should have been arriving soon. I slowed our pace at Adela’s words. In the distance, a group of people was setting up a base camp. The moment the mixed party of guild staff, scholars, and adventurers spotted us, they drew their weapons.
“A new monster species!”
“To think we’d encounter an unknown monster here!”
“Leave a specimen for research!”
The scholars and adventurers grew visibly excited at the sight of Ikelos, but the guild staff sighed and reined them in.
“Look up. There are people riding it.”
“They’re the adventurers who were supposed to arrive from Edenberg.”
“That’s the summoner who’s been making waves lately. He’s up there.”
While the staff spoke, the others sheepishly lowered their weapons. We dismounted Ikelos upon reaching the camp and sought out the field commander—a team leader dispatched from a nearby city’s guild branch.
“Argo, from Edenberg. Is this the assembly point for the sub-adult Nepentula subjugation request?”
“You found us. We only just finished setting up the base camp ourselves.”
“You arrived right on schedule.”
After a bit of light banter, the easygoing team leader spoke.
“We won’t be departing just yet. The scouts we sent ahead haven’t returned.”
“Weren’t the preliminary surveys already completed?”
“The scouts reported some suspicious details. Given their skill, we couldn’t ignore it, so we’re conducting additional reconnaissance.”
The delay would extend the operation, but that was preferable to encountering an unforeseen variable. While the forest’s chaos would worsen the longer we waited, a total wipeout of the subjugation team would render everything pointless. Just as I was accepting the team leader’s explanation, one of the scouts returned.
The scout, wearing a translucent robe over form-fitting clothing, glanced around and asked, “Am I the first back?”
“The other two haven’t returned yet.”
“Well, I was assigned the outer perimeter, so that tracks.”
Brushing leaves from their clothes, the scout organized the information they had gathered.
“This side was mostly fine. The behavior patterns differ from ordinary Nepentula, so I searched for traces, but it doesn’t appear to be an Irregular.”
“Then it was simply more cunning than the others.”
“It could be an intelligence-specialized Irregular. Considering how independent Nepentula are, its actions have been quite unusual.”
“Normally they leave their mother’s territory before reaching sub-adult stage, but this one only left after becoming a sub-adult. That’s definitely strange.”
The scholars exchanged cautious opinions at the scout’s words. Not all monsters shared the same temperament. The Laserdon currently residing in the Water Realm, for instance, preferred solitary living unlike its pack-oriented kin and displayed clever behavior by avoiding hostility toward humans. It was possible this sub-adult Nepentula was unusually timid or cautious, just like that rare case. Each piece of information was valuable research material, so the scholars on site all wore bright expressions.
While they discussed, another scout appeared.
Shrrrk.
Somehow emerging from empty air as though the space itself rippled, the scout shifted their environment-assimilated robe back to a translucent state and let out a relieved sigh.
“I almost got spotted. Even though its nature dominion should still be immature as a sub-adult, it was incredibly troublesome.”
“Good work.”
After a few close calls inside the territory, the scout accepted water from a staff member and drank deeply.
“Did you find anything?”
“Because of its characteristics, I could only observe from a distance, but the nest is definitely very different from a normal Nepentula’s.”
“In what way?”
“For starters, the nest they’re living in is far too large. The threads are packed so densely that I couldn’t even see inside.”
I raised an intrigued eyebrow. That was not typical Nepentula behavior. According to the scout, the nest was several times larger than what a freshly independent Nepentula would build—massive even accounting for the fact that this was a mature sub-adult. I was still pondering the cause when—
Beep—!
A sudden sharp alarm rang from a crystal in the team leader’s pocket, glowing bright red. The ominous sight made the team leader’s face harden as he checked the crystal, then muttered a curse.
“Damn it. Emergency signal. Looks like the Nepentula found the last scout.”
“That rookie… He said he found something suspicious and went in too deep. Guess he finally got caught.”
“Even though the first rule for scouts is stealth.”
Despite the sharp words, worry filled the scouts’ faces. When they tried to head back into the forest upon confirming that their less-experienced junior was in danger, I stepped in front of them.
“We’ll go rescue them.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“We’re not trying to interfere with the request.”
The scouts reacted negatively. They took pride in their work and didn’t want their actions to hinder the request. It would be absurd for people who operated to support adventurers to end up obstructing them instead. Even so, I had no intention of backing down.
“Right now, while the Nepentula has left its nest, is our chance. Its home-field advantage has decreased.”
At my words, the scouts exchanged glances. After a quiet discussion, they reached an agreement and nodded.
“Understood. We’ll guide you.”
“The territory disputes haven’t ended yet, so the inside is still chaotic. You’ll need us if you want to slip past those creatures.”
I had no intention of refusing that help. I summoned additional Ikelos. Speed was everything in this situation.
“Then let’s move.”
We mounted the summoned Ikelos with the scouts and several adventurers, then entered the forest.