Everyone witnessed the scene: Leon's corpse lay on the ground, while Ren still stood there, clutching his sword. Veins bulged all over his body. Blood streamed from his eyes, and his teeth ground together in anger.
Then he leaped like an arrow toward the Disaster Lightning Wolf.
He charged at it instinctively, as if he were flying without hesitation. For a moment, he even forgot that he had become like a bird in the sky, launching his relentless assault without pause.
Oran, who had regained consciousness because of the cave's collapse, had no time to attack the Disaster Lightning Wolf. He was too busy protecting Thiron and Selene. As for Leon, he remained kneeling.
Yet Ren did not stop.
He was like raging fire in hell, delivering one strike after another without pause. He gave the Disaster Lightning Wolf no chance to counterattack. Lightning wrapped around his body, increasing his speed to the point where the wolf could not even track his movements.
However, Ren's condition was terrible.
Blood flowed from every opening in his body—his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears. Even the sound of his muscles tearing could be heard by both Oran and Leon, as if fabric were being ripped apart.
And yet, he did not stop.
At that moment, the battlefield itself seemed to hold its breath, as if the world were waiting for Ren to die—or awaken.
He instinctively dodged the Disaster Lightning Wolf's attacks, and his hatred for these creatures drove him further. His thoughts were a blur.
I must exert more effort...
I must exterminate these creatures...
Keep going, Ren...
Do not breathe...
Do not lose consciousness...
Avenge all who have died...
Do not stop...
Do not stop...
Oran watched the increasing ferocity of Ren's attacks and said:
"It seems he is fighting solely on instinct. He has become like a beast!"
Leon heard this, gripped his sword, and rose as he watched the battle in the sky.
Then thoughts assailed him.
What are you doing, Leon? Will you give up? Is this the limit of your strength? Everyone we know has died... Are we destined to remain like this? Was my talk of killing these creatures mere nonsense when I once possessed strength? Is the truth painful?
Then he saw Ren rise, trying to kill the Disaster Lightning Wolf with everything he had.
Am I to remain a mere bystander? Must I not act? As long as Ren can do it, so can I!
At that moment, Leon shouted.
He clenched his sword and thrust it into his thigh, ignoring the pain. Blood flowed from the wound, and everyone turned at the sound of his cry, though there was no time to be stunned amid the wolves' relentless assault.
Leon wrapped himself in lightning and joined Ren in battle.
He no longer thought.
He no longer even breathed.
His only focus was the continuous assault—surpassing the limits of his body and enduring the pain. There was no thought of defense or strategy. The battle had become one between three monsters, driven only by instinct to attack and forced to dodge the counterattacks.
The Disaster Lightning Wolf began to retreat, but it was not given the chance, as both Ren and Leon continued their relentless assault.
Oran looked up at the sky and saw three monsters battling for the title of the strongest.
"It seems that anger has spurred them to continue their attacks... If only I could join them, we would have killed it already. But I must protect Thiron and Selene..."
Both Ren and Leon were drenched in their own blood. The limits of the human body became visible in them, yet the ferocity of their attacks did not wane.
Then the Disaster Lightning Wolf roared in anger and unleashed a wave of lightning that pushed them both back.
Their continuous assault came to an abrupt halt, and they fell to the ground, their vision blurred, on the brink of unconsciousness. Their bodies had nearly dried up from the blood.
If they continued fighting like this, they would surely die.
But at that moment, the Calamity Wolf appeared directly behind Ren and drove its giant, sword-like claws into his back, piercing through his body until they emerged from his stomach.
Leon and Oran opened their eyes wide.
Ren coughed blood, looked at Leon with a farewell gaze, and said:
"I have failed..."
Leon stood there, watching Ren die, helpless to do anything.
Why is this world so cruel?
When Ren was on the verge of succumbing to the wolf's claws, he heard a soft voice echo in his head.
"Let's exchange..."
His sword trembled suddenly, yet he continued its descent toward the wolf's claws.
Leon cried out in despair and rushed toward him.
"Ren! Ren! Wake up!"
At the moment when the Disaster Lightning Wolf was about to tear off Ren's limbs with its claws, his body pulsed with energy, and the world began to change.
Clouds and winds gathered.
Thunder roared throughout the Green Plains.
Every living creature on the battlefield froze in place, and an overwhelming pressure forced them to bow to the ground.
Ren rose.
He was clutching the sharp claws of the Disaster Lightning Wolf, blood streaming from his hands, while the wolf struggled in vain to retract its claws. His black hair covered his eyes, and a cunning smile played on his lips.
Both Oran and Leon, their bodies bowed under the immense pressure and shock, asked in unison:
"What is happening to Ren?!"
"I don't know... he was on the brink of death just moments ago...!"
And suddenly—
Crack!
Ren shattered the Disaster Lightning Wolf's claws.
The wolf recoiled, frightened for the first time. It felt the immense pressure unleashed by Ren and tried to flee, but Ren held his sword and declared:
"I will never allow you to escape..."
All the other wolves froze in place, terrified.
Ren and the Disaster Lightning Wolf faced each other in the sky.
Then Ren began laughing loudly—a strange, sinister laugh that echoed throughout the region.
"I will finish you with one strike..."
Ren gripped his sword with both hands, surrounded by violet lightning, then raised it above his head and swung it toward the wolf.
Slash!
The Disaster Lightning Wolf was split in half.
Violet lightning still enveloped its corpse, but suddenly—
Boom!
The corpse exploded, evaporating into the air.
At that moment, the smile vanished from Ren's face. He closed his eyes and fell from the sky—until someone caught him.
The pressure emanating from Ren vanished, allowing Leon to jump toward his falling form in an attempt to catch him.
Leon shouted:
"Ren! Ren! Wake up!"
All the wounds Ren had sustained from the Disaster Lightning Wolf's attacks disappeared, allowing the wolves to seize the opportunity and flee hastily toward the gateway.
At that moment, Oran and his group rushed toward Leon.
Oran asked:
"Is Leon awake?"
Leon replied:
"He's still breathing, but unconscious... I don't know what happened to him."
Oran said:
"That was not him... Ah, how do I explain? But that attack— it was famous among the former hero's techniques in most of the seven regions. It is known as Violet Lightning Particle. When the sword strikes with that attack, the surrounding lightning particles gather around the corpse, forming an explosion—and that is what happened just a moment ago."
Leon asked:
"But what is Ren's connection to the former hero?"
Oran replied:
"We can ask him when he wakes up. In any case, what will you do now?"
As soon as he said that, Leon dashed toward the cave, searching among the rubble for Mona's and Lina's bodies.
However, he stopped in shock when Oran approached him and asked:
"What are you shocked by?"
Leon was staring at Mona and Lina inside a transparent bubble, both unconscious, with a swirling book inside—the pages open.
But suddenly, the bubble vanished immediately as Leon tried to approach them among the rubble.
Mona and Lina awoke, and Leon embraced them, tears streaming down his face.
Mona asked:
"What is happening, Leon?"
Leon replied:
"I was so worried about you both. Are you alright?"
Lina said:
"We're fine, brother. Do not worry. In any case, what happened to you all?"
Leon answered:
"Our battle ended abruptly. We fell to the ground, awaiting our fate, and suddenly Ren's special book glowed. We do not know what happened next—the cave was completely destroyed!"
Mona said:
"We don't know either. We fell to the ground, waiting for our fate, and suddenly Ren's book glowed. We don't know what happened after that."
Lina asked:
"Anyway, where is Ren?"
Leon replied:
"He's over there, unconscious. We fought an extremely tough battle."
Oran then said:
"Let me take a look at that book, Leon."
Leon responded:
"Here, take it. Ren and I could not read it."
Oran studied the book for a moment before saying:
"Hm... I can read it. It appears to recount the legends and glories of the former hero. It is an ancient book with a special composition that cannot be destroyed or burned."
He then directed his fiery spear toward the book, but it caused no damage.
Leon said:
"This explains why Mona and Lina were unharmed. It seems they were within its protective range... It all makes sense now."
At that moment, the entire group moved toward Ren, while Mona and Lina looked at him with concern.
And suddenly... Ren woke up!
Ren said:
"What happened to me...?"
But he quickly forgot his confusion when he saw Mona and Lina. He embraced them fiercely and said:
"I was so worried about you both!"
Oran asked:
"Do you remember what happened to you when you were injured?"
Ren replied:
"I recall that when I was dying, I heard a soft voice from my sword say, 'Let's exchange.' After that, I don't remember anything... but I am still alive. Did something happen while I was unconscious?"
Oran said:
"Don't try to think about that now. In any case, what do you plan to do?"
Leon said:
"We were about to head to the Western Desert for an investigation—where the demonic gateway first appeared—but when what happened occurred, we were delayed."
Oran said:
"Then let's head there tomorrow. We, too, came here to investigate, but it seems there is nothing worth searching for."
Leon nodded in agreement, then said:
"In any case, let's find a place to rest; we can continue tomorrow."
After an hour had passed, the group set up camp in a suitable spot amid the cedar trees. Oran's group was already well prepared; Selene had cooked the food while everyone sat on the worn tree trunks, forming a circle around the fire in the center.
Both Ren and Leon were staring into the fire, their eyes devoid of life. They had been subjected to successive shocks and had reached the limits of their human bodies, which had caused a deterioration in their mental state. Both Mona and Lina witnessed their expressions, and worry filled their faces without a single word being spoken.
At that moment, Selene prepared the food and served each of them a bowl of soup in a wooden container with wooden spoons. Selene sat down, and the group began eating.
After they finished their meal, an air of tension lingered among them until Oran suddenly spoke:
"Do you know what happened to you, Ren, during your collapse?"
Ren replied:
"I don't remember well, but before I fell, my sword trembled as if speaking... 'Let's exchange...' I don't recall anything after that until I came to in the aftermath of the battle."
Oran shook his head and said:
"Do you know, Ren, that you were the one who defeated the Disaster Lightning Wolf? You came to suddenly, yet you were not yourself... You killed the wolf with a single blow! But do you know that the only loss we suffered was that our efficiencies did not increase? The wolf's corpse completely evaporated, leaving you with no blood to absorb. We do not know what lies hidden behind the gate, so we must set off as quickly as possible toward the Western Desert, for we do not know what may happen tomorrow."
There was no hint of surprise or shock on Ren's face; he accepted it simply, no longer affected by anything. Even Leon showed no astonishment or reaction. Oran looked at their expressions with concern, as it seemed they had both sustained psychological injuries.
At that moment, sensing the tension in the air, Selene stood up and said:
"Let's introduce ourselves. My name is Selene, and this is my father, Theron. We have come from the Western Desert with Oran."
Mona stood up and shook Selene's hand, saying:
"My name is Mona. Pleased to meet you, Selene."
Selene smiled and replied:
"The honor is mine, Mona. Let's become friends."
Lina, smiling, said:
"Pleased to meet you, Selene. My name is Lina; I am the sister of both Ren and Leon."
Selene responded kindly:
"Nice to meet you, Lina."
Oran stepped forward toward the girls and said:
"I am Oran. It's a pleasure to meet both of you, Mona and Lina."
Mona and Lina answered together:
"The honor is ours, Oran. There's no need for formalities—we are friends now."
Everyone returned to their places, while Selene remained alone, approaching Ren and Leon. She extended her hand with a bright smile toward Ren and said:
"I'm Selene."
Ren remained seated, then extended his hand to shake hers and said in a tone devoid of any emotion:
"I'm Ren. Pleased to meet you."
Selene smiled gently and replied:
"The pleasure is mine, Ren."
Then she turned to Leon, who reacted just as Ren had. Selene did not complain or worry about their responses; her beautiful face continued to shine with a smile.
She sat beside Mona and Lina on a long trunk that could accommodate the three of them, facing Ren and Leon, while Oran and Theron sat together, with Theron positioned on a rock in the middle.
At that time, Oran took out Ren's old book, and Ren looked at it and said:
"Can you read it?"
Oran replied:
"Yes. I lived in that ancient era, where I sealed myself when I was on the verge of death, surrounded by a horde of monsters numbering ten thousand. I remained asleep during that period, and when I awoke now, I asked Selene about this catastrophe, but she told me that history had never recorded it! I was surprised by that, yet I couldn't find any reason for this era to vanish from history... Perhaps we will find something within this book."
Ren and Leon looked at Oran, then Ren said:
"We were heading to the Western Desert to investigate this matter... It is truly mysterious. A whole era of history has vanished from humanity... There must be hidden forces behind it."
Leon added:
"It is indeed mysterious... Anyway, can you start reading it while we listen?"
Everyone looked at him expectantly, and then Oran began to read:
"Chapter One, Part One of the Legends of the Sword of the Sky..."