Shaka was completely unaware that the black cat had brought the Xenos back to the Familia.
At this moment, the group that had gone out to investigate had already arrived at their destination.
Ahead lay a small village. The houses were dilapidated, and thin columns of smoke still rose into the air.
Kashima Ouka checked the map and confirmed,
"This is the place. According to the Guild's intelligence, this village was attacked by monsters early this morning. Fortunately, thanks to the information you provided, Shaka, the nearby residents were evacuated in advance."
Yamato Mikoto dismounted, stepped over the charred threshold of a farmhouse, and led the group inside to investigate.
Shaka squatted down, carefully examining the remains, and asked,
"Did the villagers manage to move their supplies beforehand?"
Ouka shook his head.
"Time was too tight. They probably didn't have time to take everything."
Mikoto frowned as she looked around the room.
"Then the state of the house is strange."
"There's no firewood in the shed, all the farm tools are gone, and there's almost no food left. It's like..."
Shaka continued calmly,
"like it was looted."
A young girl from the Takemikazuchi Familia, Asuka, asked hesitantly,
"What does that mean?"
Shaka picked up a wooden stick and rummaged through what appeared to be a storage area.
"There isn't even any ash from cooking. That means these monsters have a collective consciousness. They loot, transport supplies, and even stockpile food. We can't rule out the possibility that they're setting traps."
"We need to be careful."
Monsters on the surface are fundamentally different from those in the Dungeon.
They are capable of producing leaders.
Dungeon monsters are born to fight, instinctively attacking adventurers or even their own kind. Surface monsters, however, develop intelligence closer to that of wild beasts. They can establish territories, reproduce, and hunt strategically.
Under normal circumstances, surface monsters hide in their lairs and hunt only within their territory.
But once a leader appears, they begin to act systematically, expanding territory, competing for resources, and even attacking human settlements.
Ordinarily, it is extremely rare for a monster leader, an enhanced species to emerge on the surface, let alone cause destruction on this scale.
However, given the precedent of the Minotaur incident, it was only natural to suspect something similar.
Shaka's expression grew solemn.
"Assess the damage. Can we estimate the number and type of monsters involved?"
Ouka, who was well-versed in field analysis, answered seriously,
"According to the Guild, the village was destroyed in under fifteen minutes, and the looting was extremely thorough."
"Preliminary estimates suggest at least one hundred monsters, with a clear division of labor."
Division of labor?
That detail caught Shaka's attention.
This was highly unusual. For example, werewolves tend to fight and tear things apart, while hellhounds burn everything indiscriminately. Such coordination indicates a social structure, something that usually doesn't appear in single-species monster groups.
Shaka immediately thought of the Minotaur from before.
"Although it sounds far-fetched," he said slowly, "I suspect the enemy may be a beast tamer, someone who commands monsters while disguising themselves as one."
"This leader may be enslaving or commanding monsters of different races."
The members of the Takemikazuchi Familia all looked uneasy.
Mikoto spoke calmly,
"Ordinary monsters aren't the issue. The key question is the level of the leader capable of commanding such a large group."
Shaka's face darkened.
"At minimum, it's no weaker than the Minotaur I defeated. Conservatively speaking Level 3."
He was certain of it.
Leaders capable of commanding monsters are usually enhanced versions of the same species. Just as a husky can't become the king of wolves, a Minotaur can't command goblins.
In fact, the Minotaur previously encountered felt more like a summoned enforcer something called in by goblins rather than leading them.
These aren't like Hilichurls and their variants; those are fundamentally different species.
Shaka glanced at the uneasy group and said calmly,
"So? It's not too late to withdraw. For safety, we could wait for reinforcements from the School District."
Ouka's expression hardened.
"No. Time is critical. A monster horde of this size will soon sweep through nearby villages. We don't know how many people will die if we hesitate."
Chigusa nodded weakly but firmly.
"We can fight too."
Shaka exhaled slowly.
"Then, as members of the Familia of the Goddess of Justice, we have no reason to refuse."
He turned to Yamato Mikoto, his expression serious.
"Our lives are in your hands."
The Far Eastern swordswoman closed her eyes briefly, feeling the weight of her companions' trust, then nodded.
"…Leave it to me."
Faced with the possibility of hundreds of monsters, Shaka had no illusions of confidence.
Their only viable strategy was to engage small squads, divide and eliminate them, and retreat before being surrounded just as he had done previously.
Given the current team's strength, as long as they avoided encirclement, retreat should be possible.
This plan relied entirely on Mikoto's detection skill.
They needed to sense enemy movements in advance and disengage before being discovered. If they were surrounded, even several Shakas wouldn't be able to escape a monster horde.
After confirming their plan, the group moved into the dense forest bordering the village.
"Yata Noaragasu!"
Mikoto activated her detection skill.
Its range was only thirty meters, but in a forest like this where ambushes were deadly it was invaluable.
They followed a rugged mountain path upward.
Gradually, a pale mist began to spread, reducing visibility.
The group instinctively tightened formation, moving closer together as they advanced.
"I can activate my skill freely," Mikoto said quietly, "but it consumes mental energy. Until we know more, I'll reduce usage frequency. Everyone stay alert."
The sudden appearance of fog was deeply unsettling.
After twenty minutes, visibility had dropped to barely five meters. The environment now resembled the mid-levels of the Dungeon, like the eleventh floor.
Tension steadily built within the group.
Mikoto kept her skill active almost continuously. Without it, they would have been ambushed long ago.
The group advanced cautiously, backs nearly touching.
"Enemy incoming!" Mikoto shouted.
They had finally encountered their first group of monsters.
Unable to see clearly, everyone formed a tight circle, back to back.
Shaka drew his short battle axe, scanning the fog with sharpened focus.
Through the mist, he could vaguely make out tall, muscular silhouettes roughly human-sized moving deliberately.
They were coordinating.
Five monsters were closing in on Shaka and the others.