Chapter 59

When they brought the corpse of the black wax creature back to town, the old man at the reception immediately stood up and started giving orders.

"Contact the defense team. Start the autopsy as soon as a representative from the defense team arrives. They might try to reclaim the corpse, so any available adventurers should reinforce the town's defenses."

This creature has a high intelligence, capable of setting up ambushes. Given that it travels in groups, it wouldn't be surprising if it has a sense of mourning for its fallen comrades. Rio recalled the monkeys that attacked the village. When their leader was killed, they became agitated. Some were driven into a panic, but all showed signs of high social organization. The old man looked at Yomban.

"Move the corpse to the training ground. We need Galdrat's expertise."

"Understood. Also, these two were the ones who killed the creature, so it might be good to hear their opinions, especially about the creature's reactions during combat."

"...Newcomers killed it? Well done, you two."

"It was just a matter of taking advantage of an opening. The ambush failed and they were disoriented."

"Even so, it's a great achievement. With the corpse, we can learn a lot and develop better strategies."

As the corpse was carried to the training ground, Galdrat, who was standing by the wall, began preparing masks and gloves. He glanced at Rio and silently offered him the mask and gloves, indicating that Rio should put them on. Rio, who had expected the questioning to be brief, took them hesitantly.

"Oh, right. I also paid my respects at the graves."

"...Thank you."

Galdrat briefly acknowledged the thanks and then looked at the old man with a calm expression.

"Autopsy?"

"First, we need to identify any potential weak points. We can't infer anything from its shape."

As the old man said, the black wax creature doesn't fit into any known animal categories. Its tentacles alone are unusual, and it lacks a discernible head or limbs. Galdrat, who had seen two of the three corpses with severed tentacles, looked at Rio.

"Did you cut it?"

"It was in a tree, so I got close and cut it down."

While Shiraha was fighting on the ground, Rio used his body enhancement to jump onto a branch and attack the black wax creature.

"The tentacles can wrap around branches to anchor itself or grab branches to move. The tentacles moved quite fast, but it took time to detect me."

"...Did it detect you when you touched the tentacles or when you shook the branch?"

"Both. It started moving when it sensed vibrations. It's probably also sensitive to sound."

After listening to Rio's account, Galdrat began dissecting the tentacles with a scalpel. He peeled off the black wax layer and then the thin, scaly skin underneath.

"Almost all muscle. Very little fat. A tubular organ in the center. An organ that seems to secrete wax near the center of the tentacle—"

As Galdrat continued the dissection, several men and women from the defense team arrived at the training ground. They didn't look like they could fight, which made sense given that Rheylan, where many dangerous new species are discovered, has scholars and researchers on the strategy team. The woman with glasses, who seemed to be the representative, bowed to Galdrat and spoke.

"This is a shape we haven't seen in Rheylan. It's rare for a terrestrial creature."

Rio, who grew up in the mountains, looked at Galdrat, wondering if there were similar creatures that lived in water. Galdrat, who was cutting open the creature's torso, replied.

"Externally, it resembles a sea anemone. However, its internal structure is quite different."

The creature's torso, as Galdrat cut it open, had four thick bones as supports, and horizontal bones similar to human ribs protected the internal organs.

"Is this the heart, then?"

While the scholars were discussing the creature in technical terms, Rio focused on absorbing as much information as possible.

According to Galdrat, the creature has a well-developed brain and senses vibrations, light, and sound through sensory organs at the base of its tentacles. The base of the tentacles, which Rio had discovered, is not covered in black wax because the sensory organs would be dulled if covered. The tentacles are made of muscle and have no bones. The wax they secrete repels water and slightly expands when it solidifies, allowing the creature to float.

As Galdrat and the others continued their investigation, the woman with glasses suddenly remembered and looked at Rio.

"What should we call this creature?"

"Should I decide?"

"You were the first to defeat it, so by convention, it's up to you."

Suddenly asked to name the creature, Rio couldn't think of a name. He decided to ask Shiraha, who was also a first-time slayer.

"Can I ask you?"

"Sure."

Shiraha, nodding in agreement, looked around the training ground with a dazed expression, read the name plates on the women's chests, and then named the creature.

"Blakul"

"...Okay, let's go with that."

Realizing that Shiraha had combined the initials of the women's names, Rio agreed. The old man chuckled but saw no problem with the name.

"Fine. Yomban, report this name to all the relevant parties. From now on, we'll refer to it as Blakul."

While the old man was giving instructions, the women with glasses began writing down the autopsy results. Galdrat, who had removed his mask and gloves, approached the old man and reported.

"To effectively kill it, it's best to thrust a sword or spear deeply into the base of the tentacles and into the torso. The black wax, scales, and bones provide no defense, allowing the blade to pass through easily."

"Is there another way? Not all adventurers can avoid the tentacles."

"Striking the gaps between the ribs that support the torso can reach the heart. The position of the ribs should be visible with observation. Due to the body's curvature, a horizontal line of grooves is etched into the black wax. Striking along these grooves will allow the sword to penetrate without being deflected by the ribs."

"Understood. I'll pass this information on. I'm sorry, but can you handle the disposal of the corpse?"

The old man didn't give orders to the slave Galdrat but asked him politely before turning to Rio and Shiraha.

"Rio, Shiraha, come with me. We'll share information with the defense team leader. You might be asked about the combat."

Together with the women with glasses, who were organizing the autopsy results into files, they left the training ground. Rio suddenly turned back to look at Galdrat, who was quietly staring at a sword mounted on the wall.