The walls were so thick that they could not even be compared to the place where Mid had been kept. They were so thick that every time the child went farther inside, it felt as though he were passing through a cave made of glass.
One step, two steps. Without hesitating, the child quickly reached his destination. The final door closed, and as the lights inside the somewhat dim space gradually brightened, he finally came face-to-face with the most violent and most beautiful monster in the laboratory.
“……Wow.”
Unlike the child, who was merely blinking his eyes, the adults began staring in a daze without even realizing it.
“I thought Mid was pretty too…… but really…… wow, I’m speechless.”
“Exactly…….”
“……How is that a monster?”
“H-Honestly, it is kind of grotesque…….”
The creature settled inside the enormous nest was a monster that resembled a spider. Its pitch-black skin was glossy enough to reflect light, yet it somehow shimmered like the night sky, and the eyes attached to its back looked as though gemstones had been carefully carved and set into place.
And what about those tentacles that looked as though they had been made by bundling silk together? The researchers were entranced while at the same time unable to suppress their disgust. While the adults floundered, unable to escape that complicated and strange feeling, the child pattered forward and stood before the monster, which was as enormous as a bus.
SLIDE.
Arachne’s red eyes simultaneously lowered and looked down at the child. Even though being watched from every direction should have been frightening, the child waited for what would happen next with a gentle expression, and without making any large movement, the monster slightly unfolded its curled body and made space for him to come inside.
When the child, not understanding, tilted his head, the creature also tilted its head to the side, then stretched out one leg and drew him into its embrace as though wrapping him up.
Then it laid the child against its body, wove together strands of thread drawn from the ends of its tentacles one by one to make something like a thin blanket, and carefully covered his body with it. That was all, but anyone watching that series of actions would have thought it was taking care of the child.
“Wow…….”
The moment all of Arachne’s eyes closed, the researchers released the breaths they had been holding and opened their mouths wide. Though it was not as noisy about it as Mid, Arachne also recognized the child as something that needed to be cared for. Did this make any sense? Just what kind of special quality did he possess that made both Mid and Arachne try to protect him? They had not even gone through any wariness or observation first!
“……It feels like it would be too much of a waste if he died.”
At someone’s words, Director Park laughed quietly and nodded.
“……You’re right. I wasn’t thinking far enough ahead. Rather than killing him through something pointless…… it might be better to study that constitution of his now.”
“…….”
“Perhaps…… he might become a useful key to rendering monsters powerless.”
Small, pretty specimens could perhaps be used as pets. Maybe it could even become a very good business opportunity. That would also mean the day when humans dominated monsters was not far away.
Director Park licked his lips and swallowed dryly. He had not been wrong. When he said they had to capture monsters, and when he shouted that they had to study them, how much ridicule and contempt had he endured? But in the end, he had proven it.
Even Arachne, which had caused countless casualties, was under his control, and he had also succeeded in hatching Mid and making it recognize humans as beings superior to itself.
If so, uncovering the secret hidden within C11-404 and bringing every monster that existed in this world into the palm of his hand would no longer remain nothing more than an absurd fantasy either.
No, this was already a reality close enough to touch if he simply reached out his hand.
Director Park barely managed to calm his body, which was trembling with exhilaration, and spoke.
“Let’s begin the full-scale experiments two days from now.”
[1901!]
[…….]
[Hey, 1901!]
[…….]
[You shameless bastard! Give me back my baby!]
SCREEEECH-!
A piercing sound that human ears could not hear rang through their minds. The tone was beyond irritable and so aggressive that it sounded as though the speaker wanted to tear someone apart right then and there, but the one actually hearing it simply ignored it as though it were nothing and gently swayed its tentacles.
SWISH.
When it lifted a tentacle upward, the child, who had reached out to grab it, fell over with a THUD. Of course, Arachne caught him, so he was not badly hurt, but his eyes went round as though he had been startled.
[How could you do this while I went to get food!]
But that was all. The child did not cry and bravely got back up, then hopped around like a rabbit trying to grab the tentacle again.
[Heeeey! 1901!]
[……1301 is calling you.]
Unable to listen any longer, Monster 1902 tapped on the glass wall and spoke. There was a slight irritation in its voice, as though telling them to keep it down, so 1901, in other words Arachne, let out a long sigh and replied curtly.
[You’re noisy, so be quiet.]
[Give me back my babyyyyy!]
[Ah! Could you keep it down! Do you think you’re the only one using this building?!]
Someone who could no longer tolerate the noise suddenly shouted. Judging by the hoarseness in the voice, they seemed to have been sleeping and awakened by 1301’s commotion.
[Ah, shit…….]
Mid muttered a curse under its breath, unable to hide its resentment. If it had its way, it wanted to storm over immediately and cause a scene until they returned the child, but if it did that, it might really be kicked out of this comfortable and cozy place.
[You said it’s only been five years since you came in here, right? You should stay at least ten years before leaving. They make comfortable spaces according to your tastes, feed you regularly, and watching the humans lose their minds whenever you do something you normally don’t do is so much fun. I don’t know what they took from you, but just forget about it. Life outside is a damn struggle.]
Someone else suddenly joined the conversation and even kindly offered advice.
[Didn’t you say it was a really small, young human?]
[I’m telling you, it’s not just an ordinary human. It’s incredibly, incredibly cute! And it smells really good too, and just looking at it makes my heart feel warm.]
[Uh…… I don’t know if a human can really be like that…… just let 1901 raise it. Yesterday you woke everyone up because the human threw up.]
[But……!]
[You even molted so you could get in here, didn’t you? If you can pretend to have just hatched twice, then just run over to 1901.]
[No. What if the humans realize they aren’t actually controlling us and run away? I’m staying here for another fifty years. Hey, 1301, you stay where you are.]
[Ah-! This is so annoying!]
As one after another began joining the conversation, the entire laboratory became noisy in an instant.
“Wah!”
Regardless of all that, Arachne was busy playing with the child. Mid, who had lived stuck on some remote island and in the sea, did not seem to remember very well, but the scent coming from the child was the scent of a newly born member of their own kind.
Perhaps while he was still in his mother’s womb, she had accidentally eaten something that had drifted in from their homeland, and it had been absorbed by the child. The scent was convincing enough, but no matter how Arachne looked at him, the child was definitely human.
Whatever the reason, what mattered was that the humans had chosen to attach this child to Arachne rather than Mid. Arachne gently stroked the head of the child, who had put one of its tentacles into his mouth and was chewing on it, and smiled contentedly.
There were countless misconceptions humans had about monsters. But if one had to choose the greatest misunderstanding among them, it would be that humans regarded them as little more than stupid beasts.
Well, in truth, it was not strange for humans to misunderstand them that way. After coming here, all they ever did was destroy human civilization, scream a little, lie around scratching their bellies, and eat.
So naturally, anyone watching would have no choice but to misunderstand them as unintelligent monsters that acted only on instinct. Of course, that did not mean humans were the only ones at fault. The monsters clearly knew about the misunderstanding, yet deliberately chose not to correct it and instead took advantage of it to use the laboratory like a hotel, so they certainly bore some responsibility as well.
In any case, what mattered was that, contrary to appearances, monsters were highly rational, had strong solidarity toward their own kind, and even formed a warm and compassionate atmosphere among themselves. Therefore, the moment they recognized someone as one of their own, their wariness easily disappeared and their attitude became noticeably more generous. It would not be wrong to describe it as a kind of in-group bias.
And there was one more thing.
[Just what kind of smell does it have that makes you act like such an idiot?]
[It smells like a newly born member of our kind.]
[W-What?!]
[You mean it’s a young individual?!]
[Me too! I want to see it too!]
At 1902’s answer, the laboratory went silent for a moment before an explosive reaction erupted.
[See! I told you there was a reason I was acting like this!]
Even though Mid shouted indignantly, full of resentment, none of the monsters paid any attention to it.
[How can a human smell like that?!]
[Something must have happened while it was inside its mother! Ah, this is driving me crazy. I want to see it too.]
[……S-Should we just break out and leave?]
Young individuals were extremely precious to them.
Monsters fundamentally had no concept of birth and death. At some point, they simply came into existence, wandered throughout the world, and naturally developed a sense of self, becoming a complete individual in their own right.
The process through which that self came into being was referred to as being a young individual, and young individuals were so rare that simply encountering one was said to be enough to use up several thousand years’ worth of luck.