"Who are you people?!"
"Ah—enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"Run for your lives!"
"Don't kill me! Please—don't…"
"AAAAAH!"
...
Tonight, the vast Artificial Labyrinth faced utter catastrophe.
As a faction that operated in the shadows, the Ikelos Familia didn't actually have that many members.
At least—not enough to stand against the Freya Familia.
Under the slaughter carried out by the four Gulliver brothers, anyone they encountered was killed without mercy.
This was the goddess's command.
And they carried it out absolutely.
Men, women, old, young—whoever they met was eliminated.
Gradually, the Artificial Labyrinth filled with the thick, choking smell of blood.
"Hm? Is this… a warehouse?"
After winding through several corridors, Cao Ye and Chun Ji entered a spacious chamber.
Inside were rows of iron cages.
And within those cages were monsters.
A lot of monsters.
Their appearances varied greatly.
Some were monsters from the upper floors, while others came from the lower floors.
But they all had one thing in common—
They looked exhausted and weakened, curled up inside their cages.
When they noticed Cao Ye, pairs of crimson eyes turned toward him.
Those eyes were filled with hatred, anger, hostility, and resentment.
"Lord Cao Ye… there are so many monsters here."
"What is the Ikelos Familia planning to do by capturing them instead of killing them?"
Chun Ji looked puzzled.
She couldn't understand why so many monsters were being imprisoned.
"What are they planning to do?"
"Simple."
"They're selling them outside Orario for huge amounts of valis."
"…Selling monsters?"
"Yes."
"Because these aren't ordinary monsters."
Looking at the monsters locked inside the cages, memories surfaced in Cao Ye's mind.
These creatures were different.
They possessed self-awareness.
Some could even speak.
They were nothing like ordinary monsters that only knew slaughter.
Monsters born in the Dungeon that possessed intelligence were called—
Xenos.
The intelligence of Xenos varied.
Highly developed Xenos possessed intelligence, language ability, and even growth potential comparable to humans.
They could communicate normally.
Less-developed Xenos could understand human speech but couldn't speak human language.
However, they could understand monster speech, something humans couldn't comprehend.
Some Xenos even looked somewhat human.
But certain monster traits still remained, making them clearly different from humans and demi-humans.
They had a certain "monster girl" appearance.
Because they were neither true monsters nor humans, they were rejected by both sides.
Humans attacked them.
Monsters attacked them.
Because of this, Xenos usually hid in unexplored regions where neither adventurers nor monsters lived.
The reason these Xenos were imprisoned here was obvious—
The work of the Ikelos Familia.
Certain powerful humans enjoyed collecting them as rare pets or slaves.
Some Xenos—like siren-type or mermaid-type—were especially popular among certain nobles.
Outside Orario, a female Xenos could sell for an astronomical price.
The Ikelos Familia had earned enormous profits through trafficking Xenos.
"Some of you should be able to speak."
"Right?"
"Xenos."
Cao Ye walked forward and spoke to the imprisoned monsters.
Chun Ji stared in shock.
Monsters… speaking?
How could that be possible?
But before the thought fully formed—
Her worldview shattered.
"You're different from the humans before you."
A voice spoke.
The speaker was a half-snake Xenos.
Her lower body was that of a purple-patterned giant serpent, while her upper body had the elegant figure of a woman.
However, purple scales covered parts of her waist, back, arms, and face.
"Oh?"
"And how can you tell I'm different?"
"Because the way you look at us is different."
"There's no hostility. No hatred."
"But those humans…"
"Their eyes were filled with malice and desire."
"Interesting."
Humans truly were a strange species.
Their highest potential and their lowest depravity were both terrifying.
In Cao Ye's previous world, there were people who liked monster girls or furry characters, but that was mostly internet jokes and anime fantasies.
In this world, however—
Humans who felt desire toward monsters were extremely rare.
For centuries, humans and monsters had been mortal enemies.
People like that had a specific name—
Monster Fetishists.
If exposed, they would be despised by everyone.
Of course—
That was only in the light.
In the darkness, such things happened far more often than people imagined.
Never underestimate the perversity of wealthy nobles.
For excitement and novelty, they could do almost anything.
"What's your name?"
"Shara."
The half-snake Xenos answered calmly.
The other Xenos around her also looked toward Cao Ye.
The killing intent in their eyes had slightly decreased.
But their hostility remained.
For the Xenos, all humans were the same.
Just like how humans viewed all monsters as creatures to be killed.
Especially since these Xenos had already suffered at human hands.
"Do you want to live?"
Cao Ye asked.
Shara stared at him.
"What are you planning to do?"
Even though she could sense no hostility from him, her guard remained extremely high.
Once bitten by a snake—
One fears ropes for ten years.
That was only natural.
"I need the Xenos to cooperate with me for an experiment."
"If it succeeds, all of them will gain their freedom."
"But if it fails…"
"You will die."
"So—"
"Do you want to try?"
Shara did not answer immediately.
Instead, she asked another question.
"If it succeeds…"
"What will happen to me?"
Cao Ye smiled.
What an interesting mind.
Answering questions with questions.
Was this really a monster?
The more he observed her, the more convinced he became of his guess.
"If it succeeds…"
"You will gain a new life."
"But from that moment on—"
"Your life will belong to me."
"If I fail, I die."
Shara continued calmly.
"But what about them?"
She looked at the other Xenos in the cages.
For the Xenos, their own kind were the only companions they had.
They were hunted by monsters.
They were hunted by humans.
Other than fellow Xenos—
They had no one else.
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