The Caged Behemoth

Click…

A crisp sound echoed in my ear, and I cautiously hung the lock to one side.

Whirr… whirr… ugh…

My eyes were fixed on several dog-like beasts sleeping in the cage as I tiptoed backward.

“Haa…”

Then, I let out a deep sigh.

This was not good for my heart.

The weather was gloomy and cold, yet cold sweat kept breaking out on my forehead.

I wiped it with my sleeve, ignored my still-trembling hands, and moved toward the next cage.

My physical condition was worse than I had imagined.

At first, things went relatively smoothly, likely because the nearby cages mostly held slaves.

But as I moved further out, the beasts inside the cages became increasingly terrifying.

Pressure and fatigue were mounting; before long, my head began to spin, and a loud buzzing filled my ears.

Click.

Good, another one…

Gritting my teeth, I shook my head to try and dispel the dizziness.

‘Dammit… even after taking the medicine.’

I complained under my breath as I dragged my exhausted body toward the next cage.

My health was poor to begin with, so I hadn’t expected those few doses to cure me instantly.

Because of that, I had added a few stronger stimulants.

Click, click, click…

‘Bastard, what is wrong with my hands?’

Even with the boost from the energy potions, my hands continued to shake.

Unbeknownst to me, my vision was the same; if I lost focus for even a second, the lock in front of me would double.

‘Dammit… pull yourself together!’

I blinked hard, forcing myself to stay alert, and finally found the right spot, opening the lock with a click.

Haa… haa…

I panted for air.

It was still not enough.

This number of freed beasts wasn’t nearly enough to make a difference.

I looked back at the batch of cages I had unlocked, my gaze sweeping over those captive animals.

I arrived sixteen days ago, but how long had they been here?

Fatigue and hunger had long since worn them down to nothing.

With such small numbers, they wouldn’t be able to cause any real waves.

…As expected.

My gaze shifted and naturally landed on the most prominent and eye-catching giant cage in the room.

It had to be this one.

Even while crouched down, it was still as massive as a mountain.

Its thick mane could not hide its bulging muscles.

Its jaws moved with its breath, revealing rows of sharp fangs—on closer inspection, they seemed to be stained with blood.

Gulp…

I swallowed hard.

My body froze.

Logically, a sleeping captive beast shouldn’t be able to exert such pressure.

But this one had a history.

I remembered the scene from a few days ago when it used sheer brute force to smash open its cage, and that Siren became its meal in the blink of an eye.

Fear quietly crawled up my spine, and a sudden chill froze my legs.

Before I knew it, the only word left in my mind was ‘give up.’

‘Retreat now?’

My emotions said so, but my reason knew the reality of the situation.

There was not a moment to lose.

If this thing didn’t get out, my life would be forfeit here too!

Clicking my tongue softly, I clenched my fists and forced my stiff legs to move, walking on thin ice toward the behemoth.

Every step weighed heavily on my nerves.

Every step battered my consciousness.

I grit my teeth, using all my strength to keep my movements silent as I struggled to move forward.

Close.

I was getting closer and closer.

In my shaky vision, the beast’s figure seemed to expand, and then…

The ringing in my ears.

The sound of breathing.

The thumping of my heart.

Step.

Everything reached a crescendo the moment I reached the gate.

Thump-thump! Thump-thump!

‘It didn’t seem like much when I was far away…’

‘Is this thing really this big?’

Even though the iron cage was several times larger than the others, the space still felt cramped.

By comparison, the iron cage looked like it was made of paper; the beast could likely tear it apart with just a little effort.

The iron bars seemed utterly meaningless.

If it woke up, one swipe of its claws would kill me instantly.

‘D-Dammit…’

The proximity of death put constant pressure on my spirit.

Relying on my last shred of willpower, I forced my trembling hand toward the lock.

‘Deep breath, and don’t make a sound.’

Haa… phew…

I knew what I had to do in my head, but my body was lagging by half a beat.

Never mind picking the lock, just picking up the lock itself was taking everything I had.

‘Hurry, hurry! What are you doing? I can’t even see the keyhole like this—’

Clink!

“…!”

Then, by mistake, the lock hit the iron bar, making a faint sound.

It was tiny, but to me, it sounded like a thunderclap.

I sucked in a cold breath, my legs tensing up, ready to bolt.

Whirr… whirr…

But the only thing I heard was the low drone of the behemoth’s deep sleep.

“…”

My heart, which had been in my throat, finally settled.

Perhaps it was the sudden shock, but the fact that I was currently safe caused my heart to turn ice-cold in an instant.

‘…Work.’

All extra thoughts vanished.

My eyes saw only the lock in my hand and the hairclip that accompanied me.

This was different from the locks on the other cages.

I weighed the heavy lock in my hand, feeling its internal structure through the clip.

‘A double… no, a triple-tier mechanism?’

Since it had been broken into before, they had naturally replaced it with a more complex lock.

However, having to hit three contact points in a specific sequence was a nightmare.

I didn’t have many tools; it was going to be a problem.

Click…

I withdrew the clip slightly to relax my finger joints.

‘It’s not impossible, but the margin for error…’

Blinking, I checked on the still-sleeping behemoth to confirm its state.

‘I should have started from the outside while my mental state was still good.’

Despite the complaints, the hand holding the clip began to move again.

Memorizing the positions of the key contact points inside the lock, I adjusted the positions of the lock and the clip several times to ensure I could get it in one go.

Click…

Good, the first one.

I grit my teeth, applying precise force through my numb fingers, and probed deeper.

‘The contact point must not move, shifting to the next position…’

Click.

Good, the second one.

‘It’s possible, this angle works, I can reach the third one soon.’

I pursed my lips as sweat from my forehead ran into the corner of my eye, causing a stinging pain.

But my hand could not move.

Endure it.

I had to move accurately and precisely toward the third contact point.

Almost there.

Just a little bit more, soon!

Rustle…

My movements stopped.

A sound.

Suddenly, a sound appeared.

A sound that shouldn’t have been there.

Rustle… rustle…

Something was rubbing against the floor.

‘No, it’s impossible…’

Having stayed here for so long, I knew exactly what that sound represented.

Rustle… rustle…

It was the sliding of scales—the Siren crew members!

‘Dammit, what is going on! They didn’t feed us tonight, so why would someone suddenly come down here!’

And this time was completely different from usual.

Although the rustling sound was getting closer, the cargo hold remained pitch black.

There was more than one sound… why hadn’t they lit any lamps?

Countless doubts and questions exploded in my mind, but time was incredibly tight, leaving me no room to move.

‘If I open the lock now and hide, my plan will be ruined if they find it during an inspection!’

‘But if I miss this chance, whether I can open the lock later is one thing, but the crew members might all be back by then.’

I remembered the crew captain who could fight the behemoth, and I remembered the Captain’s Demon Eye.

Once that time came, even if I opened all the cages, I would never have a chance to escape!

I grit my teeth; the situation was dire and incredibly urgent.

‘Damn it! What should I do now!’