now that they've introduced next-level cave monsters, that makes it more likely that the humans will somehow manage to get power from the cave too
It might turn from a survival horror manga to a horror-themed fighting manga the same way power-creep in Higanjima happened
Monster just ate him in one piece. Think the cave people from above send himd own there to retrieve Riku. Since the elder said its not his time yet? Umi vs cavebeast now in a 1 vs 1 duel.
Also that cave beast looks like what happened to the smoker. I assume several people were stuck together and released too early so they melted partly together.