Himeko and Kenji put down the animal bones they were holding and moved deeper into the cave, except for Yoshiro, who temporarily placed the pentagram-shaped soapstone into his pocket.

"Let's see what else this cave has to offer," Yoshiro said, his voice echoing slightly in the narrow passage.

The deeper they ventured into the cave, the stronger the stench of decaying corpses became. The putrid odor seemed to cling to the walls, growing more intense with each step.

Kenji gagged, turning to his colleague. "Ugh, what's that smell? What do you think could cause this?"

His companion shook his head, looking pale. "I don't know, but it's getting worse. How much further do we have to go?"

Himeko overheard their conversation and adjusted her mask. "It could be a variety of things. Decaying organic matter, sulfur deposits... caves can hold onto odors for a long time."

"Stay focused. We're here to make discoveries, not comment on the local perfume." Takeshi grunted and called back. "A smell that strong could mean something's still alive down here."

Although the animal bones and various marine fossils they had seen earlier were also remnants of dead bodies, they had been cleansed by endless ages, transforming into odorless 'building blocks'. However, the stench coming from the depths of this cave hadn't been fully erased by time, as if it were still fresh.

Two young team members were so overwhelmed by the increasingly intense smell that they began to dry heave. Even Yoshiro raised his thick collar in an attempt to reduce the unpleasant odor entering his nostrils.

"This is unlike anything I've ever encountered," one of the senior researchers muttered, his voice muffled behind his raised collar. "The preservation of organic matter in this environment is extraordinary."

Finally, enduring the overpowering stench, the six of them stumbled upon the most unbelievable discovery of their lives.

Standing before them, illuminated by light against the cave wall, was a grotesque, barrel-shaped fossil of a creature!

"What in the world is that?" Kenji gasped.

They searched through all known species and biological traits in their minds but could not identify such a bizarre form.

Himeko stepped forward. "This is clearly a completely unknown organism! It doesn't fit into any known taxonomic category."

Kenji stared at the fossil in awe. "Could it be... extraterrestrial?"

"Don't be ridiculous, kid. It's probably just some deformed sea creature." Takeshi scoffed.

"No," Himeko shook her head. "This is something entirely new. Look at the pentagonal head structure, the multiple limbs... it doesn't match any known evolutionary pattern."

This is an unknown organism!

It could possibly be a plant, or perhaps some sort of radiate marine life, but regardless, its origin surely lay in a prehistoric era far beyond human understanding.

As they examined the fossil more closely, Yoshiro noticed that this wasn't the only one of its kind in the cave—there were more samples of the same type.

"Look around," he instructed the team. "There are more of them. Spread out and document everything you see."

Many of these biological samples were astonishingly intact, with some even showing signs of cellular structures, untouched by fossilization.

One of the geologists on the team spoke up, his voice filled with wonder. "This level of preservation is unprecedented. The mineral salts in this cave must have prevented them from fossilizing over the eons."

Yoshiro casually walked over to examine one of the samples.

"Feel this," he called to the others. "The texture is remarkable. It's like nothing I've ever encountered before."

Himeko examined one of the better-preserved specimens. "The tissue... it's like leather, but tougher. And look at these crystalline spheres in the neck - they might be eyes!"

Kenji was bouncing with excitement. "This is huge! We're going to be famous!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Yoshiro cautioned, though his eyes gleamed with possibility. "We need to get these specimens back to the camp for proper examination."

Judging by the upright stance of the fossil, its head should be at the top, radiating outward in a star-like pattern, forming a perfect pentagon.

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In the center of the pentagon was a horizontal, grooved opening, lined with rows of sharp, dense teeth.

"Look at these teeth," one team member pointed out. "They're incredibly sharp and densely packed. What kind of diet could this creature have had?"

From the five split points of the pentagon extended five tube-like appendages, which were covered in cilia—common in many lifeforms.

Below the pentagonal head, five crystalline spheres with red irises, resembling eyes, were set into its neck.

"Those spheres," a researcher mused, "could they be some form of visual organs? The placement is unusual, but given the creature's bizarre anatomy, anything seems possible."

The midsection of the body resembled a large, wrinkled spindle-shaped barrel, with a spine-like protrusion along its center. On the back of this spine were wing-like growths, while five sets of delicate limbs, reminiscent of sea lilies, extended around the body.

At the lowest end of the barrel-shaped body, five starfish-like appendages spread out, equipped with shellfish-like foot clamps, seemingly designed for agile movement.

When Yoshiro gently touched one of the limbs at the base of the body, he found it still surprisingly elastic.

"Incredible," he murmured. "Even after all this time, the tissue retains its flexibility."

None of them, including Yoshiro, had ever imagined that such a strange life form had once existed in the world.

Its body structure defied reason, and no current knowledge of paleontology could explain it. In fact, its appearance made it difficult to classify as either animal or plant.

This discovery filled everyone with excitement, and they even forgot about the foul smell that still lingered around these unfossilized samples.

"We need to document everything," Yoshiro instructed, his voice filled with urgency. "Photographs, measurements, samples—everything. This could change our entire understanding of prehistoric life."

It was an unexpected, monumental find—one that could potentially shock the entire world!

The existence of this ancient life form hinted at the possibility that other intelligent species might have existed before humanity. Such a discovery would undoubtedly attract countless people.

"Imagine," he said to the team, "a paleontology museum right here in the Land of Snow. This creature could be our crown jewel."

The team members exchanged excited glances, caught up in Yoshiro's vision.

"There's nowhere else on Earth where such an impressive specimen could be found," Yoshiro continued. "We could boost our country's economy, attract researchers from around the world..."

With this in mind, Yoshiro rushed back to the camp and instructed most of the team members stationed there to help transport all the biological samples from the cave.

"Careful with that one!" Himeko called out as Kenji stumbled slightly. "We don't want to damage anything."

In the end, twelve biological samples were brought out, seven of which were in such perfect condition that they could be displayed immediately.

To preserve the integrity of these samples from the extreme cold outside, Yoshiro had a large tent set up to store eleven of the specimens, leaving one for a preliminary dissection.

Back at the camp, Himeko fussed over the storage conditions, insisting on specific temperature and humidity levels. "These samples could rewrite everything we know about evolutionary biology," she said, carefully arranging the specimens.

When the more than two-meter-long sample was laid out on the table, Yoshiro and the others realized just how astonishing the creature's anatomy was.

"Let's begin the examination," Yoshiro said, picking up a scalpel. But as he attempted to cut into the specimen, he found that its skin was so tough that even the sharp blade couldn't penetrate it.

"This is extraordinary," one of the researchers exclaimed. "What could make it so resilient?"

Even when a portion of its pentagonal head was placed in a kerosene stove, it remained undamaged.

Takeshi, growing impatient, attempted to crack the specimen with a hammer, but it remained stubbornly intact. "This is impossible," he growled. "Nothing's this tough."

With no other choice, Yoshiro ordered a different sample with already damaged skin to be dissected.

Upon further examination, he discovered that the creature had two respiratory systems—gills and pores—indicating that it could live both on land and in the sea.

"This changes everything we know about adaptation," one of the biologists on the team marveled. "A creature equally at home on land and in water... it's unprecedented."

Combined with its wing-like structures, even conquering the sky seemed within its reach.

Inside its head, they found vocal cords. Pressing them produced a flute-like sound, reminding him of the unnamable flute melody he had heard near the Black Mountains.

Kenji's eyes widened. "That sound... it's like the melody we heard near the Black Mountains!"

Takeshi rolled his eyes. "Coincidence. Let's focus on facts, not fairy tales."

When they cut open the creature's internal organs, they were shocked to find that the organs had not fully decayed, nor had they mineralized.

When a scalpel pierced the thawed, softened organs, green blood gushed out before everyone's astonished eyes!

The green liquid carried a strong, fishy stench that overwhelmed the room, making even their masks useless against the nausea-inducing smell.

"Ugh..."

Two members couldn't take the odor and immediately ran outside to vomit, and even Yoshiro was struggling to endure it.

He quickly covered the organs with the skin tissue again and draped the entire sample with an oilcloth, which slightly reduced the foul smell.

"This is unlike anything we've ever encountered," he murmured aloud.

With such a significant discovery, he had no intention of keeping it within the exploration team, so he hurried to the newly set-up radio.

"Hello, hello," he called into the receiver, his voice brimming with excitement.

"This is Yoshiro from the exploration team. We discovered a cave 45 kilometers northwest of the main camp."

"Inside, we found biological samples of what appear to be ultra-ancient organisms, along with numerous ancient animal fossils."

His words tumbled out in a rush as he described their incredible findings. "The specimens are unlike anything we've ever seen. Multiple respiratory systems, unclassifiable anatomy, preserved soft tissue... it's beyond our wildest expectations!"

"Please send reinforcements as soon as the blizzard passes. We have made an incredible haul this time."

Yoshiro couldn't contain his joy. "This could change everything we know about prehistoric life. The Land of Snow could become a center for paleontological research worldwide!"

"Haha..." he chuckled, imagining the fame and recognition that awaited them.

Aaaah... aaah...aah...

Just as he was gleefully reporting the results of their expedition, a chorus of terrified screams erupted from outside the tent. His laughter died in his throat, replaced by a cold dread.

The piercing cries were so loud that even the person on the other end of the radio could hear them clearly.