After passing through the spatial passage, Shakti immediately saw cages packed with Xenos. She gave her order at once.
"Open every cage. Check each Xenos' condition and give the wounded an Elixir."
The Ganesha Familia members were already prepared. The sudden shift through space didn't shake them to the point of confusion.
Once they steadied themselves, they began moving toward the cages.
They first tested the locks with their weapons.
"Clang!"
Sparks flew, but neither the locks nor the bars showed the slightest scratch.
"Captain, these locks and cages are made from high-grade materials."
"As expected."
Shakti wasn't surprised.
Most Xenos had claws and fangs sharp enough to serve as natural weapons. Ordinary cages would never hold them. The only way was to reinforce the construction with special materials.
"Have someone work on the locks. A few of you secure the passageways. The rest, distribute the Elixirs."
Meanwhile, Shakti's eyes swept over the area until they fixed on a grisly sight: a headless corpse missing an arm and a leg, lying atop a raised platform, and not far in front of it, a young Xenos lying unconscious.
She hurried past the corpse to check on the child. Confirming the little one had only fainted, she gently lifted her and carried her away from the scene.
The death had been brutal. Crimson blood was still spreading across the floor.
Once the child was safe from the blood, Shakti turned back to the corpse.
The severed arm and leg had smooth cross-sections—cut cleanly in a single strike.
'The weapon was sharp, but the wielder was even stronger.'
She inspected the muscles, then pulled a vial of "Status Thief" from her pouch. Tearing open the clothing at the back, she dripped the potion over the skin, revealing the sacred script etched there.
"Dix Perdix… Captain of the Ikelos Familia."
Confirming the identity left Shakti even more shaken.
'To overwhelm an adventurer with Level 5 strength, severing limbs before he could even resist… whoever did this is far stronger than the Guild records suggest.'
Killing a Level 5 was something only another Level 5 could realistically accomplish.
Not even most Level 4s could hope to achieve it. The higher the rank, the greater the gulf in strength.
And Dix was no ordinary foe—he was the "Hazer." Even against another Level 5, he wouldn't have gone down easily.
Yet judging by the state of the corpse, he'd been utterly crushed, left without any chance to fight back.
Meanwhile, the freed Xenos gradually let down their guard, but none of them spoke about the one who had done this. They chose silence.
"Thank you…"
A Ganesha Familia member blinked in surprise before smiling and shaking her head.
"No thanks necessary."
The Xenos drew a deep breath, staring at the Elixir in his hand. He lowered his guard completely and drank it.
The potion's effects were immediate. His battered body began to mend rapidly, and along with it, his exhausted spirit regained some strength.
"Are all the Xenos here?"
"Most of us were locked up in this place."
The Xenos glared at the nearby corpse, pointing with a finger trembling in rage.
"That bastard captured us. Aside from the companions he already killed, the rest were all imprisoned here."
"My condolences."
"No need. Our comrades died so we could live. You saved us—we'll never forget this debt."
The earnestness in the Xenos' eyes made the Ganesha Familia member believe his words without doubt.
The workload was heavy. After freeing one Xenos, they immediately moved on to the next.
The number of captives far exceeded expectations.
Over forty Xenos were still alive, many badly injured. Some had already died inside their cages, but because their Magic Stones hadn't been removed, their bodies remained intact.
Even without witnessing the abuse firsthand, the sight of those corpses was enough to tell how cruelly they had suffered.
Once every Xenos had been rescued, the Ganesha Familia members reported back to their captain, Shakti.
"Captain, all the Xenos have been rescued. As for the rest..."
A member of the Ganesha Familia shook his head slightly. Shakti was silent for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"I see. As long as they survived, that's enough. They never had any other choice."
Shakti knew well how cruel the lives of the Xenos were. Shunned by adventurers, even monsters treated them as aberrations to be hunted down.
Caught between rejection from both sides, life in the Dungeon was misery for the Xenos.
But for now, survival alone was the best result they could hope for.
"Hold position. Bring out all the supplies you've brought and set up a temporary base."
"Yes, Captain."
At her command, the Ganesha Familia members began unpacking the provisions, tents, and other gear they had prepared.
The temporary base would serve as a resting place for the Xenos.
Once the area was completely cleared, it could become their long-term home.
"What are you doing...?"
"Helping you establish a temporary base."
As her subordinates worked, Shakti explained to the confused Xenos.
"This place may carry bitter memories for you, but it's also one of the most suitable locations in the Dungeon for your people to live."
The Xenos' eyes lit up.
If they could set aside the pain they had suffered here, it truly was an ideal dwelling.
But the memory of their captors moving freely in and out of this place still weighed on them.
"But when they brought us here, they always used 'keys' to enter. If we live here, won't they just invade whenever they want?"
"There's no need to worry. Those 'keys' can be sealed as well. This place is too valuable to abandon—unless you'd rather keep wandering endlessly through the Dungeon."
The Xenos exchanged glances, realizing this really was the best option for them. For their people, it was the most fitting arrangement.