Xenon - Acid Insect Investigation

A masked figure stands beside a wooden cage filled with insects. You make your presence known as you approach, but the stranger seems more interested in the insects than in you. Without even turning their head, they point to an Acid Insect.

"They spew acid, yet their own bodies do not dissolve. Fascinating, is it not? I believe I could learn more by observing the moment they burst..."

The stranger casually tears a page from their notebook and hands it to you.

"Record the moment an Acid Insect bursts and report back to me. In return, I will share the results of my research."

When you nod, the stranger becomes lost in thought once more.

"What process could produce acid inside its body...?"

They begin scribbling in their notebook and appear to lose all interest in you.

"Me? I go wherever insects can be found."

When the stranger reaches through a gap in the cage, a Metal Scarab clacks its hard shell in warning.

"Every layer of the Dungeon has a different environment and concentration of mana. Even members of the same species mutate in completely different ways. To me, this entire place is a living laboratory."

Even as you speak with the stranger, you learn nothing about the figure behind the mask. You cannot be certain whether the stranger is a man, a woman, or even human.