I Can Devour Monsters' SSS Talents

”I know where this writing belongs.” Lian’s voice made all eyes in the room fix on him.

The black metal piece was still between his fingers.

”Oh? How? From where? What language is it?” Rindo leaned forward slightly.

Lian did not answer immediately. He held the piece at a different angle and examined the shape of the scratched letters once more.

There was only one word on the metal. No name was written, no sign that directly revealed the writer’s identity.

Only a short and simple request.

Help.

The writer probably did not know who would find that piece. Perhaps they did not have the chance to write a longer sentence, or they were afraid the guards would notice the message.

All they had left was that same word that anyone from their own people could recognize at a glance.

Lian moved his thumb over one of the worn grooves.

”I saw this language, not exactly this one, but the structure and shape are the same and close to it, on the pillars of the Temple of the Divine of Light ruins, a ruin I found when we were in the Ruined Realm.”

”It is probably one of the native languages of the Ruined Realm. Perhaps it was shared among several ancient civilizations, or at least some groups used it.” This language was not exactly the same as the one used in the ruin.

There were two possibilities. Either it belonged to one of the other seven human civilizations in the Ruined Realm, or it was a language belonging to a specific group in the Ruined Realm.

But in either case, he was sure this language belonged to the natives of the Ruined Realm.

For a moment, no one said anything.

The writing was a simple word, but its weight was different from any sentence that could have been written on metal.

”So the person who wrote this wasn’t Human? I mean, from the humans of our world.” Seraphina asked quietly.

”No, not from Earth’s Humans.” Lian returned his gaze to the lines on the piece.

”A native of the Ruined Realm wrote it. Probably hoping that one of his own people would find this piece one day.”

”And come back to save him.” Seraphina continued. This was probably what any poor helpless person would do, hoping to be rescued.

Lian nodded.

If his interpretation was correct, the Cindari had arrested someone from one of the other civilizations of the Ruined Realm some time ago.

The age of the scratches showed the matter had nothing to do with the recent arrival of humans, and since Marcus had said he saw a human, it was probably that same human who wrote this message and must be the Ruined Realm native trapped here. This is mostly certain, of course, it’s unclear how he got here and how long he has been here.

It was also possible he had been transferred to another location, or perhaps he was still being held somewhere beneath the Rootspire.

In any case, the mere presence of such a person could be very important.

He probably knew this world better than any transferred human.

Furthermore, he might have information about the collapse of the Ruined Realm civilizations and the remaining civilizations.

Perhaps he knew a truth about the Primordial Root, the separation of the three forests, or even The Black Silence, and of course, he might even know a greater secret that caused the Cindari to arrest him.

Nevertheless, something in the room made Lian’s attention separate from the metal piece.

A very faint and almost imperceptible feeling, a movement in the surrounding Mana.

Since entering the temporary council building, he had noticed the energy flows inside the walls.

All of Vhalaris’s structures used Mana channels. Even the old buildings of Ashfall Ward were connected to the living roots beneath the city.

For this reason, the presence of a strand of Mana inside the wall did not seem strange at first glance.

But this strand behaved differently.

The city’s normal flows were continuous. Energy would pass through the channel and enter the lamps, structures, or supporting roots.

This strand vibrated with the sounds inside the room. When someone spoke, the thin root would contract for a moment.

When silence returned, it would calm again.

Lian said nothing. At first, he had thought it was nothing special, but now he felt it was not.

How could the Cindari possibly trust them?

Lian slowly activated Predator’s Instincts. The room’s normal colors changed, and all the flows in the room appeared before his eyes.

The Mana flows were visible like bright veins in the walls.

Most of them were red and gold.

But among them, a very thin strand of dark red came out from the corner of the window frame. The strand would vibrate slightly with every word spoken in the room.

Something was hidden inside the wood.

’A listening device?’ Lian examined the point without moving his head. Whatever it was, it only vibrated when a sound was heard in the room.

It was clearly sensitive to sound.

’Not strange. I would have done the same thing... how foolish, why didn’t I realize sooner? No one trusts a group of armed outsiders. Of course, they’re monitoring us.’ He chuckled to himself.

The Cindari had probably started monitoring the humans’ council building after the arrest of Marcus, Ethan, and Cassian.

Perhaps the listening device had been active for a long time.

Rindo noticed his silence.

”What is it?”

Lian took his gaze off the window.

If he exposed the listening device at that moment, Seris would probably destroy it. Seraphina was also angry enough to react strongly.

But destroying the listening device would cut off the enemy’s surveillance, and they would react.

Lian could use that same path to test something... an insane idea... but so what? He needed to do it.

”I can translate the language of the person you imprisoned.” He turned the metal piece between his fingers and said with a clear voice.

Rindo frowned.

”Who are you talking to?”

At that same moment, the strand inside the wall contracted. Not like a vibration caused by sound, but the Mana in the listening device gathered at one point, and then a short pulse passed through the wall.

The signal was sent out of Ashfall Ward at high speed.

Lian followed its movement until the strand disappeared among the city’s channels.

The reaction was immediate.

Someone behind that listening device was waiting to hear important information.

And Lian’s sentence was exactly what had caused an urgent report to be sent.

”So it really was a listening device.” Lian said quietly.

Seraphina stood up.

”They were monitoring us?”

”Where is it?” Rindo immediately turned to the wall.

He took a step toward the window, but Lian raised his hand.

”It’s no use now.”

”What do you mean?”

”The message was sent.”

Rindo glared with anger at the point Lian was looking at.

”Why did you intentionally say that in front of the listening device?” He couldn’t believe this idiot had just said that.

What he said would definitely attract the Cindari’s attention! It wouldn’t even be surprising if they sent an army to arrest him right now!

Which fool would do such a thing?

Lian placed the metal piece on the table.

”To see if they would react or not. As long as we talked about the path, the prison, and the accusations, they only transmitted sound. When I said I understood the prisoner’s language, they sent a separate signal. Clearly, what I said was interesting to them.” His tone was calm.

But at this moment, everyone present stared at him as if they were looking at a madman.

Why would he do such a thing? This put his life in definite danger!

”Where is the listening device?”

Lian pointed at the wall.

Rindo approached the wall. He pushed his fingers into the wood’s gap and, with pressure, separated part of the frame.

The listening device was hidden inside it. A small, oval object made of black wood, with a red vein moving in its center.

Rindo pulled it out, and the device’s light had gone out.

”Damn it.”

”How long has this been here?” Liana looked at the Artifact.

”I don’t know.” The student council president clenched his jaw.

”So they heard everything we said here?”

”Probably.” He thought about all the words spoken in the past few days about this city and the ruling race, and his face paled.

Did they hear all those words?

”Then they tell me Ashfall Ward is under surveillance, not bugged.”

”Now that they know what you know, what will happen?” Seraphina looked at Lian.

”Now they know I can read something they can’t.”

Rindo looked at him for a few moments, then pulled back his chair and sat down again.

”No one is doing anything. We need to find a way out as soon as possible. They’ll definitely come after Lian. You need to escape right now.” He couldn’t understand why this madman had said those last sentences.

But it didn’t matter. He had made the decision. He had to get everyone out of danger.

”Tomorrow, I need to find a way to see Marcus, Ethan, and Cassian and talk to them. We need to find a way to save them too.” It could be done tonight.

But in his view, it was risky. Right now, getting Lian to escape was the most important thing.

”No.” However, Lian himself disagreed.

”No?” Rindo thought he had misheard.

”We’re not waiting until morning.”

”Why?”

”Because now they know we have information about the old prisoner, and since they’re coming after me anyway, they’ll probably guess we might attack or escape, and they might change the security structure.”

Lian pointed at the general map of Vhalaris.

”They might move Marcus, Ethan, and Cassian to separate cells. They might destroy the evidence. They might even execute those three before the trial.”

Rindo fell silent. In fact, not just him, but everyone fell silent. The words they were hearing were completely accurate and correct.

If they were being monitored, then the Cindari certainly knew they would not abandon their friends, and to prevent trouble, they might execute those three sooner.

So what could they do in this situation? Their friends could be killed at any moment.

Rindo felt the most pressure... how had he not noticed that damn listening device?

But even if he had, so what? If he had destroyed it, the Cindari might have caused trouble for him... but at least if he had known, he would have known what to say and what not to say.

But now what should they do...?

Everyone’s gaze fell on Lian... waiting to see if there was a way out of this predicament or not.