There’s no doubt about it, they heard the loud stomp somewhere in the forest. The party of mercenaries of the Glade that were once an adventurer pull themselves together before they continued to pack the meat that they’d hunt together.

They travelled together for the past seven years and managed to survive the harsh world. They weren’t supposed to come back here if the Renegades didn’t revolt. No matter how hard they convince themselves that it’s not worth to come back, they can’t turn their back on the home that hone them into the warriors that they’ve become.

Dice prepped up the lockers of the carriage behind the Comodo that they have borrowed. His party members Laura the marksman, she’s an archer and Octagon the healer, but his also capable of doing fire magic went inside the carriage guarded the food stock they’ve hunt together. They heard it again a faint rumble coming out of nowhere. The animals clattering has halt to silence.

“Laura, Octagon, guard our rear!” Dice shouted.

Laura prepped up and place the three arrows on the bow and keep gripped steady forward. Octagon held his staff and began to chant. The red stone that embedded in the staff shone bright and transparent three layers of walls began to emerged.

Octagon’s initiative amazed Dice. It’s a standard procedure when there’s a possibility of conflict. It’s one of the strategies they have come up over the past seven years of adventure, when the monster’s strength is unknown, they would go in defensive position, Dice would usually go to the frontline as the swordsman and initiator while Laura will support him in distance, Octagon’s role is to only heal if there’s any injured. Octagon’s role is critical for their succeeding fight.

Laura may have use in combat but she’s useless when it comes to magic, the only thing that could be rely on is her Inquiara Magic, 'Shadow Foresight', it’s a magic that allow the user to increased the instincts to the maximum in order to predict and counter the enemies attack.

Laura breathed heavily. The wind is disrupting her senses right now and because of it, it’s hard to utilize her Inquiara Magic. Her senses began to filter out the noises and barrages of the environment one by one as her instinct finally kick up. She felt an ominous presence moving erratically over behind them. She trembled for a moment in a sudden realization of the true nature of the beast that’s coming for them.

She cut off the layer of the figure and continued to sensed it.

“What do you think, Laura?” Dice asked. “Is it good or is it bad?”

“Bad, really, really bad.” She nervously said. The sweats began to trickle down. “I can tell that it’s a big one.”

“If it’s out of our league then I reckon that we shouldn’t stop moving.” Octagon said.

The Comodo’s eyes sharpened as it senses something odd, it automatically pursued the other route and ran steadily.

“Wait! Hey! That’s not the way back to the Glade.”

The Comodo cried. Dice was about to whipped it but Laura shouted at him.

“No! I think this is the right thing to do. We need to shake off this beast. Right now, we don’t have enough man power to stop it. It would do more damage rather than the other way around.”

Laura held high her bow. She pulled the string and again she used her Inquiara Magic. Her sight was locked onto the enemy. Mana began to pour the arrows and lighted in red, blue, and green. She let out the string the arrows pierce through the wind. The strength that was embedded to it tore the trees and when it reached its destination, it explodes and creates a tornado that is characterizes along with the scorching flames and ice that immobilizes the enemy. It was one of her Inquiara Magic, Triple Beam Elements. She glanced at the back and saw the two of her comrades surprised faces.

“That will hold the enemy long enough.” She said, “It’s best to withdraw for now.”

The tornado of flames and ice suddenly break and tore into shreds as the giant figure leaped out. The sun’s light blocked their vision and was unable to see the figure above, but they can tell that its after them.

“Hold on!” Dice shouted.

The Comodo knew what it needed to do. It exerts more energy and ran with an incredible speed, just as the same time the monster crash to the ground. The earth itself shatters and shaken their balance. Fortunately, the dropped didn’t caught them. If it weren’t for the protective walls that blocked the boulders and debris, the food stocks would be squash and dropped right to ground. Octagon and Laura glanced dumbfoundingly to the wrecked that the monster caused.

“And unfortunately, I’m wrong.’”

“Well, this day couldn’t get anymore worse, right?” Dice asked.

A loud rumble shook the environment then it was followed by a loud screech. They instinctively held on their ears hearing the shriek of the enemy.

“We better camp for now, but we must send them a distressed signal.” Dice said. “Octagon, do it.”

Octagon nodded. He raised his staff. A red fireball was fired to the sky and scattered to pieces. They headed immediately to the mountains and hills and quickly hide in one of the caves. Octagon cast an illusion spell to the entrance of the cave as part of the mountain’s body.

Back in the Glade. Alastor was just starting to pile up the seeds to the storage room. While Ken was busy sorting out the cargo boxes, Linda and the other trainees inspect the materials in the weapons and mason room. There’s a lot of weapons and materials that was destroyed and was rendered useless, but Linda is not someone who’s going to throw it away without thinking for a second on what they could be of use. She meticulously inspects one by one and outline suggestions what to do with it. Of course, there were useless and ordered the trainees to clean it up. The broken swords and other weapons can be melted and remade and mixed the materials.

They were in the middle of transporting it when suddenly a trainee burst inside the room.

“Linda. There’s an emergency. Director Rod wants to talk to you.”