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The mercenaries quickly scooped up the divine objects.

Since there weren’t many, the divine objects disappeared in no time, and the mercenaries tightly wrapped the sack containing them with a rope they had received earlier.

The rope was made of leather, appearing rough and dyed in a rustic red color that didn’t look like something typically sold. Moreover, it released a pungent odor – reminiscent of rotten flesh and aged fruit soaked in stale blood.

However, the mercenaries showed no sign of disgust at that smell. They even wriggled their noses, making an effort to catch more of the scent.

“If it doesn’t smell… too horrendous, let’s move on….”

It wasn’t that the scent was to their liking.

The reason they concentrated on the smell was that it was a lifeline for them.

The stench of decay was a signal indicating that the sack was ‘temporarily sealed.’ The moment that smell vanished, the magical effects or curses contained within the divine objects would leak out and harm the mercenaries.

Additionally, this rope had the effect of making the sack tough and strong, preventing any sharp parts of the divine objects from tearing through and allowing the contents to escape. Thanks to that, even if they slung the sack over their backs, they wouldn’t be wounded by suddenly protruding sharp divine objects or be distressed by any curses.

“All clear. Let’s go.”

Fortunately, there were no anomalies.

The effect of the ‘rope’ made by the monster was still active, and the mercenaries were safe from the divine objects – for now.

But who knew what would happen as time passed?

The mercenaries wished to finish their mission before the rope’s effect wore off.

Reading the mercenaries’ anxious expressions, the monster slowly nodded its head and turned, beginning to retrace the path they had come.

At a pace much faster than when they entered.

As if realizing there was an issue with the security system and wanting to get out quickly before reinforcements arrived.

Yet, something strange happened.

As they hurried along, whenever they spotted a fallen person, the monster would move its spider legs and start dragging them away. It was just like a person rushing by stopping to pick up money that had fallen on the road.

It was behavior that couldn’t be understood with common sense.

But the mercenaries held no complaints about the monster’s actions. In fact, the more people it dragged along, the more interesting it seemed to them.

And when the monster gathered them all inside a room with transparent reinforced glass doors—

“Heh heh. Could it be… that one?”

They couldn’t help but smile.

The team leader chuckled as he retrieved a rope from his backpack, before the monster even opened its mouth.

It was a black fuse made using black powder soaked in spirits.

He attached a bundle of the fuse to one of the monster’s spider legs, and the monster seemed to naturally take it, unrolling the coiled rope. Then it unfurled one finger, which moved in a twisting manner like a snake.

Swish.

As everything that resembles resembles similarly, the fuse lying on the floor began to squirm in sync with the monster’s finger movements.

It moved as if it were a living creature, like a snake disguised as a fuse.

The moving fuse started to wrap around the bodies of the people gathered, tightening its knots and binding them tightly.

The team leader gazed in admiration at the scene, looking at the monster.

“Wow, this isn’t your first time, is it? With these skills, there’s no way we wouldn’t know about a shaman like you… were you secretive about your activities?”

The monster gave him no answer in response to the team leader’s question.

Instead, it merely gazed at him, as if to say not to ask any unnecessary questions.

The team leader, feeling a bit apologetic under the monster’s gaze, spread his hands.

Without wiping the smile off his face, he posed another question.

“What else do you need?”

In reply to the team leader’s question, the monster threw back another question.

“Can you… set up a tripwire trap…?”

A simple question.

But the meaning hidden within was anything but simple.

The team leader smiled, as if pleased with the monster’s question.

“Of course.”

“Then… install it.”

“What’s the objective?”

“To draw their attention, and prolong the time.”

“And the power?”

“Don’t let the hostages die. We don’t mind if the rescuers do.”

“Sounds good.”

The team leader smiled and gestured to the other mercenaries.

As soon as the other mercenaries recognized the team leader’s gesture, they promptly pulled out powder, fuses, detonators, and bulky electronic devices from their backpacks and belongings. They then laid out the devices conspicuously around the hostages, advertising, “This is a bomb!” as per their employer’s request, and spread the fuses taut near the door.

They stuffed bombs densely above or around the door, adjusting the angles to ensure the explosion would spread in specific directions.

After setting up the tripwire trap, the mercenaries and the monster exited the room.

“——!”

The tripwire trap was completed only after they had all exited.

The monster wiggled its fingers in front of the transparent reinforced glass.

Then, just like when it had wrapped around the hostages, the fuses began to writhe and move, getting tautly pulled to the door.

Just a slight pull on the reinforced glass door would activate the device.

And it didn’t stop there; nearly invisible fishing lines also began to wriggle like insects, tying themselves in various places. So that people who safely removed the lines tied to the door would be caught off guard and receive a ‘not fatal’ explosion when they entered.

Once the trap was set up, the mercenaries and the monster shared a satisfied look.

Then, as if they had predetermined it, they simultaneously turned and quickened their steps.

To escape out of the building.

Thus, like a wave that suddenly struck, the monster and the mercenaries vanished.

Like the beings in a midsummer night’s dream.

As if they had never been there.

What remained was an empty warehouse.

Broken surveillance equipment.

And the hostages tangled in explosives.

 

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