As they headed toward the city, a gust of wind stirred from the direction they had come, accompanied by a thin, roaring sound, like a storm whose thunder never stops. Night was already approaching, and it was not a good sign.
"Faldor! It seems a flock of Syderaphs is coming from the east," Suho exclaimed.
"Strange. From what I knew, they shouldn't be coming toward us."
"What do we do then?"
"I don't know why the Syderaphs changed direction, but we have to turn back to the village. At this rate, night is coming, and we have nowhere to take shelter if they reach us," Faldor said grimly.
"If they're coming from the east, it means we have to change our course too. Ferath will no longer be where we were heading."
Ren, curious, joined the discussion. "What are these Syderaphs?"
Klaus replied, "Syderaphs are a species of insect the size of an eagle with a metal-like shell. They move in flocks at night, making an enormous noise. If they sense your presence, they attack immediately. They dive until they hit the ground, their armored bodies like iron claws tearing their prey apart before flying away. This phenomenon is called the Iron Storm."
Ren frowned. "What's an eagle?"
"It's a bird about that size," Klaus said.
Ren shivered. "Sounds dangerous."
"We don't have time to explain. Turn back now, or we'll be destroyed by the flock," Faldor interrupted.
A few minutes later, Ren groaned, frustrated.
"Why do I have to carry all the heavy supplies?"
"You've already forgotten. You carry the provisions because you have no combat experience and no proper equipment. You'd just slow us down. We need to be ready to protect you," Klaus replied.
"I guess you don't want to become food for wolves or bears," Faldor added.
"Offf… fine," Ren muttered.
Suddenly, a deafening crash echoed behind them — a tree being torn apart. The group froze, eyes wide in horror.
A massive figure, at least fifteen meters tall, emerged from the shadows. Its wild eyes glimmered as it salivated over the broken tree.
"What is that?" Ren whispered.
"How did this gigantic monster get here without us noticing?"
"A Palug? Here?"
Faldor roared, "SEPARATION!"
The group scattered. Running in different directions was their only chance. The unluckiest would be the first to be pursued.
Ren, wearing his bright yellow cape, immediately stood out.
Gyro acted fast, unfolding a javelin from his belt — a collapsible explorer's weapon — and threw it at the monster. But the beast reacted with terrifying speed, dodging and turning its gaze toward him. A wide, feline-like grin spread across its face, as if amused.
The monster lunged toward Ren, smashing past Gyro and knocking him into fallen trees with a massive tail swipe.
Ren zig-zagged between the trunks of the fallen trees, hoping the maze-like forest ahead would give him cover. Trees stacked like collapsed scaffolds formed a multi-level labyrinth. He ducked, leapt, and twisted through the gaps as the Palug shook the ground with every jump.
"Is he still following me?"
Just as the monster nearly caught him, Ino flashed a reflective device, temporarily blinding it. Faldor seized the moment, leaping toward Ren, catching him, and wrapping a rope with a hooked mini-scythe around a horizontal tree. Swinging under the branch, they disappeared from the beast's sight.
The monster recovered and turned toward Ino, who was saved by Klaus's quick flash and then caught by Haku below. Again, the beast shifted its target to Klaus.
Meanwhile, Faldor held a hand over Ren's mouth to keep him silent, thinking furiously about how to kill the Palug. "It's too dangerous. We can't leave it alive. It's too big, too fast, and our attacks won't even hurt it."
Ren felt helpless, trapped in the chaos.
Above them, Klaus climbed higher along the bent, fallen branches, pursued relentlessly by the Palug.
Finally, he reached a clearing — a vast, empty arena-like space.
Klaus leapt, falling through the air with the Palug in pursuit. "Why are there no trees here?!"
He spread his arms, activating the gliding device hidden under his capes, soaring above the beast. The monster lunged, striking part of the equipment and forcing Klaus into a hard landing.
The reason for the empty clearing became clear: it was the center of Veerda. Citizens had only planted trees around the perimeter. When the beast slammed into the ground, the surrounding area collapsed, sending debris crashing into the village center.
Rising from the rubble, the Palug roared in fury.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
"Did it survive that fall? No way…"
The situation was truly hopeless.
And for Ren and the squad, the hunt was far from over.
The monster began to rise again, angrier than ever, destroying everything in its path.
The tremors from Ren's desperate escape had thrown the entire city into chaos.
Panic spread through Veerda—people ran, screamed, and vanished into the underground tunnels built for emergencies.
Not everyone made it in time.
Some were trapped under rubble, others crushed by falling stones.
Ren felt a heavy knot in his chest—guilt, sorrow, and confusion.
This was his home. The village he grew up in. The place that had shaped him.
And yet... part of him wanted to use this chaos as a chance to escape.
He clenched his fists.
Even as tragedy unfolded around him, this fight felt... pointless.
He turned to Faldor, his voice low and uncertain.
"Why are we even fighting?"
It was a simple question—but it cut deep.
Faldor had been clear before: the monster must not be allowed to escape. It had to die, no matter the cost.
Otherwise, their mission would be to retreat and report the threat.
Faldor straightened, his expression firm.
"Even if this feels beyond our reach, this beast is nothing compared to what truly threatens humanity.
It's classified as a minor threat—but it's unpredictable. If it reaches another city, it could cause a disaster."
Ren frowned. "Then why not at least report it first?"
"Because even if we did, the warning will change nothing."
Ren's thoughts started racing.
If he ran to the nearest city to report this, they'd only send him back to kill the creature anyway.
If he didn't report it, the monster might follow and destroy the city itself.
And if he left alone, he'd be branded a deserter.
No matter how he looked at it—he'd have to face the beast sooner or later.
Then an idea struck him.
"Faldor, give me your rope—the one with the hooked mini-scythe. And a knife."
"You've got a plan?"
"Yeah... but I'll need a distraction. And a bit of luck."
"I'll handle that."
Faldor charged forward, hurling rocks, debris, even a dented frying pan at the monster.
"Hey, you overgrown cat! Did you forget about me after that fall?!"
The creature turned, roaring furiously, and lunged after Faldor.
He sprinted through the shattered ruins, barely avoiding its massive claws.
Meanwhile, Ren, Ino, and Haku were pushing with all their strength against a massive log, trying to roll it toward the ledge above the village pit.
"Faldor! Move!" Ren shouted.
Faldor looked up just as debris began to rain down—chunks of stone and the falling log.
He dove into one of Ren's tunnels just as the entrance collapsed, sealing him inside but saving his life.
The log crashed down, slamming into the beast.
Dust and splinters filled the air.
The creature staggered, but somehow... it stood back up.
Then—Ren leapt from above, feet first, diving straight into the monster's open mouth.
Everyone froze in disbelief.
Oskar, covered in dust and blood, stared in shock.
"What kind of insane courage is that…" he muttered. Then, with a grim smile, he grabbed a sharp piece of wood and charged.
"If I'm going to die... then I'll die without fear, just like him!"
He jammed the wood deep into the monster's back, clinging tightly as it thrashed in agony.
The creature began slamming itself against the walls, screaming in pain.
Ino and Haku rushed to free Faldor from the collapsed tunnel.
"Faldor! Are you okay? Your leg—it's crushed!"
"I'll live. Where's Ren? What happened to the Palug?"
"The attack didn't work. Ren jumped straight into its mouth!"
Something felt wrong.
Oskar, still clinging to the beast, was finally thrown against a wall—his body broken, unconscious.
Then—silence broke into a deafening scream.
The monster howled toward the moon, its voice raw and desperate.
From inside its throat—a shadow burst out.
Ren, barely alive, hung from the rope, hooked on the creature's tongue.
That was his plan all along—to get inside the monster, to cling on tongue and deal as much damage as he could before escaping.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Suddenly, Ren saw something glimmering on the horizon.
His voice cracked as he shouted:
"IT'S COMING! THE STOR…!"
Before anyone could react, the monster swallowed him again.
Faldor and the others understood instantly—they fled underground.
The sky turned black.
A fierce wind howled through the ruins.
Then came the Iron Storm.
The Syderaphs descended—thousands of metallic wings tearing through the air like a hurricane of blades.
The monster roared, but it was already too late.
In seconds, everything vanished in a storm of dust and screams.
Even the beast was shredded apart—devoured by the metallic swarm.
When the chaos finally ended, silence returned.
Faldor and his team crawled out from the tunnels, coughing, searching desperately.
And there—amid the ruin and broken remains—they found Ren.
Alive. Barely.
His arm and ribs broken, his body bloodied—but breathing.
That night, fate had chosen his side.