He turned his head slightly and exchanged quick glances with Miranda and Harry, both of whom were already on alert.
Miranda's daggers gleamed faintly in her hands, and Harry's calm gaze subtly scanned the surroundings.
Up above, Claire's voice sounded again through their minds—sharper this time, edged with disbelief.
"They're… hiding behind the rubbles, but—" She hesitated for the briefest second, her brow creasing deeply. "It looks like they've set up a trap… for us!"
The three adventurers below froze for a moment, their expressions hardening at her words.
"What?" Miranda muttered under her breath, her tone low with disbelief. "That's impossible."
Jack's frown deepened. The idea itself was absurd. Mana beasts weren't supposed to be capable of such tactics. They acted on instinct, not intelligence.
The Horned Gorilla, especially, was a solitary stage three beast—large, powerful, and aggressive, but not clever.
