The narrow pipe stretched farther than he expected, then ended without warning.
He slid out and immediately noticed the difference.
The area below him smelled of rot and stagnant water. Thick oil clung to the walls, and the air was damp enough to choke on.
Here, everything changed.
Industrial lights glowed overhead. The floor below looked almost polished, free from debris and sludge.
Even the walls appeared reinforced, lined with metal panels and insulated piping.
This wasn't part of the natural sewer anymore.
'Did I accidentally stumble into some kind of hidden base?'
Francis slowed along the ceiling, studying the walls and the structured layout again.
Then he felt it.
A faint vibration traveled through the concrete. His bristles picked it up first.
Francis didn't just wait— he analyzed them.
'Ten individuals. Sounds suggested humans.'
Preemptively, he compressed his body. Muscles tightened. Spring Joints locked.
Then he launched upward toward the ceiling. His body flattened against the pipes, scales shifting to reduce any shine.
Seconds later, a squad of ten entered.
All of them wore sleek hazmat suits. The design allowed full mobility, unlike bulky containment gear.
Francis observed quietly, his Parasite Eyes expanding awareness in every direction.
Five of them carried rifles.
Blue neon strips glowed faintly along the weapon frames — Gamma-source powered.
Four others struggled with a massive weapon.
It looked like a machine gun, but not a traditional weapon. No visible barrel. Instead, a wide circular emitter sat at the front, lined with layered plates and sensor arrays.
Not built for killing.
Built for detection.
Or suppression.
A portable scanner… or worse — a beast-neutralizing emitter. Good thing it was off.
Then Francis noticed the tenth figure.
A man walked ahead, a sword resting across his back.
Unlike the others, he moved naturally. No wasted motion. No hesitation. Even without seeing his face clearly, Francis sensed the difference.
'Special Category.'
A potential high-value target.
His growth would jump again if he harvested another talent, allowing him to be better prepared once he returned to the surface.
One of them adjusted his grip on the heavy machine and let out a tired sigh.
"Man… can't believe we're stuck cleaning dumps like this while the other team is killing beasts on the surface and getting all the glory."
Another chuckled.
"Orders are orders. This is dirty work, but it pays well. We also have to make sure the population of weaker beasts doesn't grow out of control under the city."
"Yeah, yeah… still sucks. Fighting big beasts outside is way better. Don't you think so, Leon?" he turned toward the swordsman.
"Let's just do our job." The swordsman sighed, his breath fogging the inside of the hazmat suit.
From what Francis observed, this team wasn't the A-Team—they only handled low-level jobs.
That meant the Special Category swordsman wasn't especially strong, maybe even weaker than Tanya.
"By the way, did you hear the reports from the Main Branch? I heard they issued a warning about a small beast that's been eating human livers lately."
"Yeah, I heard it too. But why is the main branch worried about such a small beast? Hard to believe a top-level unit would be concerned about something like that."
A man gripping his rifle added, "I heard two Special Categories turned up dead, both missing a liver. I don't think they're overreacting."
"We have company!" the swordsman warned before he drew his weapon and leapt into the air.
Instead of countering, Francis jumped off the pipe. His movements looked awkward and rushed.
Instinctively, the sword user kicked his body. Francis slammed against the wall, then used the rebound to slide down and slither onto the pipe.
'That was close.'
He overheard them laughing. One even made a joke about how the beasts in this sector were losers.
'That's it. Underestimate me more.'
His quick thinking saved him. By retreating and acting weak, he made himself look like a common beast they could easily kill.
Now, all he needed was to track their route and set traps.
'Time to put my old skills to use. I'll show them just how deadly an operative can be—with enough preparation.'