Chapter 32
"What are you getting at, Trix?" Raven asked.
All eyes fell on Trix. Did she figure it all out?
Trix's lips curved into a small smile. "We have been blinded by the brutality of the monster's actions. If only we looked closer, we'd understand how it's getting stronger. Anyway, I believe the key to stopping the monster lies in the lake. We have to act before the monster returns. Or else—"
"Wait… wait.. Slow down… slow down for a second and explain to us regular folks who can't keep up. Alright, I will be honest, you lost me a long time ago," Malyk scratched his head in confusion.
Leve watched silently, her gaze flicking between Trix and the black lake.
Trix explained, "The monster is masking its secret with the merciless killings. The brutality is just a distraction. Look beneath the surface, what do you see? Well, it seems to be an oddly meticulous creature. The way it chooses its victims… it's too precise. It is not just a mindless beast. It is hunting with intelligence."
Kai frowned. "We know it picks the vulnerable ones, using them to advance forward. It's a classic move, really. Dai Protova — the monster preys on the vulnerable through fear and brutality, using them as windows to break down their enemies from within. Yeah, Mistress Blaike drilled it into us during monster studies."
"And who are these people?"
"The weak ones."
Raven muttered thoughtlessly as his mind wandered, "Not exactly. To the monsters, everyone is prey. It merely starts with the weak ones and eventually comes for all."
Kai's eyes wandered to sites of massacre. He gazed at the corpses, profiling each one of them for better understanding. Bloodied bodies were strewn about, victims torn about. But what was it that Trix saw? Could it be the dealbreaker they desperately needed?
From his point of view, the monster was indiscriminate in its killings. It equally tore through the weak and the strong, the boys and the girls. Just like Ravens said, it comes for all.
Then, it hit him.
'Where are the bodies of the female victims?!!' Kai's eyes widened.
He scanned the carnage again, but it was all male victims— limbs, heads, legs, chunks of flesh— every last victim was male.
'How had I missed it? There's no way!'
It was utterly odd that there was not a single female corpse among the litters of bodies left in the monster's wake. No, it was downright impossible!
Kai then turned to Trix, "You think the lake has something to do with this?"
Trix nodded, "It's a wild guess, but it's all we got. We can't let that thing keep getting stronger."
Kai shook his head in disagreement, "It's too far-fetched a guess."
"I'm with Trix," Raven said, "The lake stands out as the odd one in this location, some sort of convergence point. The bodies have to be somewhere, and my guess is that the lake takes it and feeds somehow off its components. Plus, every time the monster's shown up, it probably came through the lake. That alone should be enough to convince us."
Raven paused before adding, "You don't have to go. Trix and I will check out the place for clues, while you watch out for us."
Malyk chuckled, "That's dumb, even for me? You realize that if you are right, this adventure isn't going to be your typical walk in the park."
Trix fistbumped in the air. "What? Venture into the wicked lair of a monster with my best bro? Count me in. I have never done that. Seems super fun. Right, Rae?"
"I couldn't agree more."
Raven returned the fist bump. He was feeling just as excited as Trix. This was the first monster he had the luxury to study at safe lengths. Everything about it so far mesmerized him. It wasn't simple. It was unorthodox, the perfect vice of the supernatural. He was looking forward to discovering more about its method and origins.
The conclusion of the preliminary was fast approaching, and every examinee could feel it. From this point on, there would be twists upon twists laid on them as they attempted to eliminate the monster. This was not the time for hesitation. This is the only way to win was to stay ahead of the curve, and that meant considering every wild idea.
"No, I'm coming. There's no much use with hiding. Leve and Malyk are enough for that."
"Hey!!" Malyk protested. "You could have at least tried to sound less offensive"
Kai smiled, "What? If you want to tag along, just say the word."
"I'm good!" Leve passionately shook her head. She was never leaving her spot on the tree.
"Oh darn, I was gonna tag along, but now, I gotta stay with Leve. Can't leave her alone, ya know? Poor sad Leve, it would break my heart to leave her unguarded." A reluctant expression appeared on Malyk's face.
It would have been totally believable if it didn't seem too good to be true. No one was buying that fake face.
Trix looked at him funnily, "Whatever you say, dude. We would sure hate to demand that of you. Go ahead and fuffill your knightly duties, Sir Malyk."
"I hate you," Malyk faked a cry.
"The feeling is mutual, Sir Malyk."
Everyone's tense heart broke into smiles. They perfected their plans and joked a little more. After a while, they broke apart. Raven, Trix, and Kai silently dropped to the ground while Malyk and Leve stayed up, perched in the trees.
"Alright, there's no going back now. We got to be real silent. And be wary of the monster. Remember we can't see it," cautioned Kai.
The grove was eerie, a stillness that felt like it could snap at any second. No screams, no distant sounds of struggle— just a calm that bordered on madness.
Trix whispered, "We are in luck. It's probably beyond the grove, out hunting."
It was a good thing they didn't have to deal with the monster just after getting to the ground. The three of them felt a sense of relief.
Raven was aware of the implications of this. "Its territory is growing. The monster left to explore the new reaches of it. It will not be back in a long time."
A thought hit Raven as the trio continued their walk towards the lake. Could they have fought the monster outside of the grove?
It was significantly weaker there. It's magic wouldn't be able to protect it. They might have had a real shot at it.
'No, we lost our chance a long time ago. Perhaps if we had Sereya Voss in our team and a bit of luck, we could have easily killed the monster, but the lack of knowledge at the start made us unable to think ten steps ahead. Is this another lesson from Mr.Codix?'
'Decisiveness. Aggressiveness. Rapidness. Knowledge. If we had all four, we could have speedrun this shit.'