Huo sprinted back to the center of the fray.
"Everyone, retreat!" he repeated, his voice echoed.
A monster on the verge of evolution should have been dormant for a period of time. But this one was still moving and had time to fight. Its evolution wasn't complete, yet its power was already surging beyond control.
What did Lin's group do to drive it into this frenzy?
Huo wanted to grab Lin and shake the truth out of him. But this was not the time to think about it.
Huo now realized how lacking he was as a leader. He hadn't taken the time to properly observe the monster the moment it appeared before giving the order to attack. Acting on impulse, without understanding the enemy's capabilities, was reckless.
Attacking blindly didn't just endanger his life, but it also put everyone who trusted and followed him at risk. A true leader should protect his people, not lead them into unnecessary danger.
Huo's chest tightened from guilt. He could now see clearly the mistakes he made. He clenched his fists, forcing the rising panic down. He couldn't undo his mistake, but he can still save more of his men.
"Ren! Wan! Get the wounded out of here!" Huo roared, his voice hoarse from shouting.
Both men jolted at the command and obeyed without a second thought, pulling the nearest injured beastmen away from the battlefield.
"Cai! Take half of the group and guard their retreat. Don't let anyone get separated!" Huo commanded, his voice firm.
Cai's brow furrowed. "Why? We can take it down together."
Huo shakes his head. "We cannot defeat it. It is on the verge of its evolution," his gaze locked on the monster horns.
Cai followed his line of sight, and his expression faltered when he saw the small, now glowing horn at the center of the monster's head.
"What—"
The small horn was unnoticeable earlier, but now that the monster is trying to force its evolution, the small horn has started faintly glowing.
"If it completes its evolution, none of us will make it out alive."
"What about you?" Cai asked as he saw Huo preparing to engage again in the battle.
"I will hold it off to give you all time to escape," Huo answered as he leapt towards the monster, not waiting for Cai's reply.
"Huo—!"
Both of them knew what it meant to face a monster alone.
Cai clenched his fists. "Everyone! Move!" he growled.
Huo's transformation was now only partial. His energy was nearly depleted, and his body was refusing to hold its beast form any longer. His arms were the only thing that hadn't reverted, the only reason he could still attack.
Huo was doing everything he could to avoid being hit directly by the monster because a single blow from it could cost him his life. As the time passes, the rock lizard's attack is getting heavier.
His body was already covered in wounds, and his vision was blurred because of the blood dripping into his eyes, but he still couldn't stop. They were still beastmen that weren't done retreating.
Hou ducked under a swing of its tail, he rolled across the dirt, and he leapt aside to evade its incoming claw.
The rock lizard roared in fury as it shifted its attention to the nearest beastman. Wan, who had been helping a wounded tribesman to his feet, didn't see the monster lunge towards him with its giant claw.
"Wan!" Ren shouted in alarm.
Huo didn't think and just moved. He was the nearest and the only one that could save them.
He dashed forward and, with all his strength, shoved Wan and an injured beastman. The next moment, an excruciating pain ran through him as the rock lizard's claw slammed into his shoulder, nearly ripping his arm.
"HUO!" Cai and Ren's voices overlapped, full of panic. They instinctively ran to help their friend.
The other escaping beastmen also stopped, ready to pounce back to help Huo, but the monster was already prepared for another attack. Its maw was opening wide for the kill.
Huo swayed on his feet, his breath ragged. The pain in his body is drowning everything. He manages to give a self-deprecating smile.
All I wanted... was to see Ziqian one last time.
Gathering every last shred of strength in his remaining intact arm, Huo raised his claw for one final strike. He knew that it will not be enough to kill or critically injured the monster but he would not accept to die just like that. He still want his men to escape at least.
Huo didn't have any strength left to dodge. He braced himself to take the monster's attack directly. He raised his claw, preparing to exchange his life for one of the monster's eyes. As the foul smell of the monster's breath gets stronger, a blinding white light suddenly bursts on top of his head, engulfing the whole plain.
"..."
There was no sound, no heat, and they felt no pain. For a moment everyone felt calm and comfortable, followed by a silent explosion that rippled through the air, shaking not their bodies but their souls.
When the light finally faded, silence enveloped the whole place, with only the sound of distant crashing waves to be heard.
No one knows what happened in that brief moment. No one moved or spoke. They only looked at each other with puzzled looks.
Then they heard Cai call, his voice faintly trembling, "...Huo?"
At the center stood Huo, his head lowered, his body drenched in blood, and his arms hanging uselessly at his side.
But what made everyone frozen in place was the body of the rock lizard lying before him, lifeless.
And for a heartbeat, no one dared to breathe.
Huo defeated a four-horned monster that was on the verge of evolution. This is a feat that has never been accomplished before.
The plain once again came alive with murmurs and movement.
No one could see a motionless white fluffball on top of Huo's head. Its shining white fur is now coarse and dimmed, nearly grey as small electric currents continue to hit it.
---------------
Ziqian was sleeping peacefully when chaotic scenes flashed continuously in his consciousness. He trembled in horror seeing a giant crocodile-like monster aggressively attacking Huo. The scenes were fragmented, but Ziqian could clearly see how bloody the battle was and how injured Huo had become.
Ziqian gasped awake. His whole body was trembling, drenched in cold sweat, and tears streaming down his cheeks.
For a moment, he didn't know where he was. Only the sound of his ragged breathing and the echo of chaos burned into his mind.
"H–Huo…" Ziqian's voice was hoarse. His throat burned as if he had screamed for a long time.
His heart was beating so hard it hurt, as if it were trying to jump from his chest. He pressed a trembling hand to his chest, trying to steady his breaths, but his body wouldn't listen.
"Ah-Zi!" Phi's anxious voice rang out. The two guardians circled in front of him, their fur flickering erratically.
"What happened to Huo?" Ziqian choked out, his words trembling.
He knew what he saw wasn't a dream. The images had been too vivid, the pain too real. And the storm of emotions radiating from the guardians, especially Nia—fear, anger, and grief—confirmed what his heart already knew.
The emotions of the two guardians fluctuate erratically, filled with confusion and panic.
"Answer me!" Ziqian's voice broke into a near shout. "Where's Nia? What happened to them?"
"We don't know," Phi's voice came in a whisper.
Phi and Ero couldn't answer Ziqian. It's not that they didn't want to, but they didn't know what had truly happened. They had only felt Nia's sudden outburst of power. Nia had broken a restriction that could bring him severe punishment and even cause him to be exiled from this realm.
Nia is now in trouble! The two guardians have the same thought.
Ziqian didn't ask any further. He threw off his blanket and tried to run out. His feet hit the cold ground as he stumbled toward the tent's entrance.
"Ah-Zi, calm down!" Phi cried, fluttering in front of him.
Ziqian shook his head violently. "I felt it. Huo is in danger, Phi! He's badly hurt! They need help!"
The sun hasn't set yet. Many females and sub-beasts were busy preparing dinners, while children were playing, and the others were doing some menial tasks.
Ziqian ran barefoot. His breath came in ragged gasps as he scanned everyone on the way, looking for Xue.
Everyone who saw the sub-beast's current state was stunned.
Some females exchanged anxious glances. Several people immediately supported him when they saw him almost stumble.
"What's wrong, Ziqian?" A female worriedly asked.
Ziqian didn't answer and asked instead, "Where is Xue?"
"He was with the high priest and patriarch," one of them said at once, pointing toward the biggest tent at the center of the tribe. "They must be discussing what happened earlier..."
Ziqian didn't wait for her to finish and immediately ran towards the patriarch's tent. There's only one thought in his mind.
Xue... I need to find Xue.
Ziqian believed that only Xue could help him save Huo.