EPISODE 5: The Beast’s Call

The sun was shining and the wind was blowing, as if everything remained the same. But there was something about that moment—something that made none of that matter.

The contrast between the daylight and what we had in front of us was almost offensive.

Because what we saw... what we felt... was that a single misstep could cost us our lives.

And worse yet: our fates were no longer in our hands, but in his.

And still, Kerl did not back down.

While we could barely breathe, he stood there, firm. Arms at his sides, eyes half-closed, as if he wasn't looking at a monster pulled straight out of our worst nightmares, but at a math problem with a solvable answer.

There was something in his presence, in his simple stance, that reminded us that maybe... not all was lost.

Not while he was still there.

"So, you're the one releasing these creatures into our territory," Kerl shouted, his voice so sharp it seemed to cut through the air itself. "You're good… not only did you evade our surveillance, but you managed to get this close to me without me noticing."

The silence that followed wasn't natural. It was dense, heavy. As if even the forest waited for the shadowed figure's response.

Kerl, unsatisfied with the lack of reply, subtly readied himself for battle.

Then—

"Do you think you can reach me so easily?" the man said, tilting his head as if searching for something among us.

Kerl didn't answer. He moved. He ignored the words and suddenly leapt with full force.

"This guy's really strong... but it looks like I can follow his movements a bit better now," I thought for a moment.

But before Kerl could strike, something stopped him.

As he launched the attack, the air ripped with a muffled boom.

From a magic circle blazing with red and purple flashes—like an open wound in reality—something emerged.

It intercepted Kerl's strike with a roar that froze our blood.

That creature, leaping in front of him, stood more than two and a half meters tall with a sinister aura.

Its skin was a sickly green, with two massive fangs jutting from its drooling mouth.

Black-lined tattoos ran from its arms up to its eyes, partially covering them.

And those eyes…

Those damned eyes were yellow with glowing purple pupils, like they could open a portal to hell itself.

Then, behind me, I heard someone stumbling backward.

I turned slightly and saw Flumir, hands stiff like he was trying to stop something invisible, face paler than his cloak, eyes wide enough to pop out.

"U-u-a U-ur-urv-varg…" he stuttered, his expression so terrified it made me feel sorry for him.

And I swear, for a moment, I saw him shit himself. Literally.

If the Urvarg didn't kill him, the scare alone would.

I glanced at the others, and the reaction was nearly identical in everyone.

Darel frowned hard, but the cold sweat running down his face betrayed him.

Keia's eyes and mouth were so wide she looked like she couldn't breathe, trembling with each passing second.

Aethen… Aethen held Keia tightly, either trying to protect her or maybe preparing to flee with her if things went south.

Kerl took a step back—not out of fear, but to assess the terrain.

His eyes never left the enemy, but he was also watching us.

His serious expression wasn't doubt—it was decision.

He was calculating risks… and he wasn't willing to risk us.

"Guys..." Kerl murmured, his voice so low it blended with the wind. "Two of you must return to the palace. The ones with better skills stay and support me. That guy... he's got some kind of control over these beasts. I can't fight him and protect you at the same time."

"You don't really think I'll let you leave that easily, do you?" said the man as he calmly descended from the tree.

He stepped behind the creature, then walked up to stand right beside it.

That's when I finally got a good look at him.

He was tall, with dark skin, his face covered in a mess of tattoos and scars… so many it looked like each line told a different war story.

This man was sinister. The battles he must've lived through to end up like this… I don't even want to imagine.

And his eyes… or rather, his one remaining eye… burned with restrained fury, like he was just waiting for an excuse to let it loose.

"Master… I think someone's trying to compete with you in the 'intimidating baldness' category," I muttered with a forced smile—more reflex than bravery.

"I like that attitude, Yeroy. You, Darel, and Kalesh will support me. Aethen, don't leave Keia's side. You two need to recover and withdraw as soon as you can," Kerl said, with a slight smile that, for some reason, inspired confidence.

We stepped forward, never taking our eyes off the beast.

As I'd imagined, being closer only amplified the terror of having that thing in front of us.

Kerl looked imposing, sure… but that little green shit, with its unshakable presence, made it clear it could kill us all in seconds.

I started preparing, taking advantage of the moment of calm.

The guy was so confident he could wipe us all out, he didn't even move.

That worked for me—it gave me time to charge my Lysae.

I focused on the flow coursing through my body, keeping both enemies in my sights.

I drew out a third of my power, spread it across my body, and shaped it to my form.

It was easier than before, though still difficult... especially now that I decided to expand it fully, mimicking Darel.

When I spread and shaped it as best I could, I started compressing it—condensing it against my skin.

I was trying to apply what Kerl had taught us.

Not perfect, but it should work better this way.

Then, when I felt I had it just right… I started the process again.

Surprisingly, it was easier.

Looks like doing it once helps make the rest smoother.

I tried to glance around to see if the others were preparing too, but Kerl cut in, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.

"Don't look away. I'm just one person, and I can't defend if both attack. You need to stay focused."

Then I understood.

I turned back and began to release the Lysae I'd stored.

Slowly, it started taking shape… like it was wrapping around me in flames.

It didn't burn, but the heat was real.

And it was mine.

I started feeling the flow of my inner Lysae syncing with the external one—like two rivers competing to see which was stronger.

The external flow felt like it was inside a flame, and my pulse… it became steady, controlled.

This technique is absurdly useful.

Where were you hiding this before, you blindingly bald bastard...?

Then, as if he no longer needed to wait:

"Alright. Uv13, take care of the brats."

At those words, the Urvarg began to move.

"How is it even possible that he can command a creature that terrifying?" asked Darel, his voice tense, almost breathless.

"It doesn't matter," murmured Kalesh. "What matters is that we have to take that thing down and help the Master as soon as possible."

"You're incredible… that beast is emanating such…" I began to say, but didn't finish.

I was interrupted by the attack.

The beast charged at us with a speed that made no sense for something its size. One moment it was a distant threat, and the next… it was already on top of us.

It clenched its fist, and from it oozed a thick liquid glowing with an unnatural light.

Kerl prepared to intercept the charge—but the guy behind the monster moved too. In a flash, he appeared from the side, wielding a black dagger that looked like it was made of pure Lysae.

Kerl reacted instantly: he drove a knee straight into the arm holding the dagger, deflecting it just in time. But the guy countered with his other hand, throwing a brutal punch that Kerl blocked with both arms.

The impact was so intense, the air behind Kerl exploded like a hurricane had just crashed into the forest.

Meanwhile, on our side, the beast lunged at Darel. He reacted on instinct, jumping back, already wrapped in his layer of Lysae. Looks like we're all on the same wavelength...

Kalesh took advantage of the opening. He leapt with impressive agility, drawing his short sword—the hilt bore the symbol of the House of Air from the Valaryon clan.

Kerl, who now seemed to have formed several defensive layers of Lysae, transferred part of that energy to the sword and delivered an upward slash straight to the beast's chest.

The strike landed hard… but stopped dead.

The monster's chest sounded like solid iron. No way to break through.

"Tsk…" Kerl hissed as he quickly backed away.

Still, the creature had a small scratch. Nothing major, but at least… it wasn't for nothing.

The Urvarg's fist glowed even brighter, and then it charged at Darel again. That monster seemed to have taken a liking to our redhead…

In a blink, it threw a downward punch with ridiculous force. Darel managed to dodge to the side, but the ground trembled under the blow.

I took the chance. Jumped with both legs and landed a punch right between those massive biceps, barely deflecting the attack by a few millimeters.

Then, using the creature's own arm as a pivot, I pushed off, spun midair, and launched a sweeping kick, condensing Lysae throughout my body.

The damn beast dodged the attack like it was nothing.

"Damn it!" I thought as I landed.

But right then, Kalesh and Darel lunged at the monster, not giving it a second to breathe.

Darel went low with a Lysae-charged punch.

"Chronic Blast!" he shouted.

The fist connected with the creature's side, and—BOOM! An explosion burst from its back like it had with that half-human before.

Kalesh followed up with a direct thrust of his sword.

"Wind Lunge!" he yelled.

The tip of the blade spun into a Lysae vortex that looked sharp enough to pierce steel…

But the creature moved with inhuman speed.

With one savage swipe, it hit Kalesh from the side—and in the same motion, swept Darel and me off our feet, sending all three of us flying like rag dolls.

"Hahaha! These kids are something else. No wonder my trackers didn't come back," the guy muttered, with a twisted little grin, almost like he was enjoying the chaos.

He and Kerl exchanged blows like they'd been practicing that brutal choreography for years. Punch after punch, clash after clash, the air itself trembled with every hit.

"You got that right," Kerl replied, still wearing that satisfied grin as he landed another punch right in the guy's face. "Those brats… are the pride of the clan."

Then, like he'd just dropped a weight off his shoulders, Kerl started channeling his energy. Once… twice… four times… six… nine… twelve times.

Twelve compressed, condensed layers before his skin began to absorb the power.

And then I saw it.

His bald head started to glow like the Lysae was trying to make his hair grow—I swear he's doing it on purpose.

His eyes began to shine so bright the pupils vanished. It was like his gaze lit up from the inside, shooting bursts of Lysae out from his eyeballs.

His whole body began to tense, to reshape, like he was unlocking muscle he didn't even know he had.

"Confirmed… he's showing off."

Back to the center of attention—which is, of course, me:

I started to get a better grasp of this whole Lysae compression thing. Watching Baldy flex, I noticed that when he released a wave of energy, the next one followed like a bubble of air trapped between layers of water. It popped—but stayed inside the last one.

As I regained my balance midair, I released power from my feet in a blaze and landed with style.

Kalesh, meanwhile, channeled his Lysae and summoned a gust of wind that caught both him and Darel, letting them land like they'd dropped onto a fluffy mattress.

"Guys, I wanna try something—can you cover me for a sec?" I asked, flashing a cheeky grin.

"What are you planning now?" Darel asked, eyeing me with suspicion.

"Incoming!" Kalesh shouted, eyeing the monster charging at us again with terrifying force.

The footsteps of that little green shit are disturbingly powerful. Its size is already scary enough, but having it that close brings a whole new level of fear.

When the Urvarg got within a few meters, Kalesh and Darel hit it head-on.

Darel condensed Lysae into a spiral of flames that covered his arms. Every punch released firebursts that exploded violently. Kalesh, not one to be outdone, channeled his Lysae to boost the fire with bursts of wind, forcing the beast to cover its face and jump back.

I stayed behind. I started trying to replicate what I saw during my last epic crash landing.

I stacked four layers of Lysae into my body and tried to compress them. Then...

BOOM!

My energy exploded like I'd lit a fuse in a barrel of gunpowder, and I flew backward, bouncing across the ground until I crashed into a rock.

"Am I ever gonna get tired of flying and crashing into stuff?"

I stood up like nothing happened... pretty sure no one saw that.

I looked around… and there they were—Keia and Aethen.

They're still here?!

I thought they bailed a while ago.

Damn it… this is embarrassing.

With my face slightly red—not from the impact, but from pure shame—I dusted myself off and jumped back into the action.

Alright Yeroy, focus. What did I do wrong?

Should I have stacked the layers one at a time instead of dumping them all at once like a pressure cooker exploding?

Let's test it.

At the very least, I'll know what to do the next time my ass decides to blow up.

So, I tried again. Formed all four layers instantly… I'm starting to look even better than Kerl.

I shaped them all at once, but kept them separated. Just like I suggested, I compressed them one by one.

And then I felt it.

The flow of Lysae rising.

My Semillum was beating hard, but not crushing me.

The Lysae formed inside me, as if it was molding itself into something new.

When I opened my eyes… boom—a burst of energy.

Or at least, that's what it looked like around me.

I felt a breeze… a current of air passing through my hands.

I looked at my left arm—it was glowing a vivid green… and when I lifted the other hand, it was burning red.

And then… boom.

The explosion made some kind of implosion that sucked the power back into my body.

I felt… changed. Still me, but—the power!

My hair floated in the current swirling around me.

And my eyes… energy plasma was flowing out of them like twin miniature suns.

"It's time to test this feeling," I thought.

So, I started compressing Lysae into both hands, fusing it until it formed a small, radiant sphere.

I locked onto that little green bastard… and launched myself.

When I jumped, I left a small crater behind me—and suddenly… I passed right between the monster and my teammates without even slowing down!

What… What kind of power is this? I didn't even feel like I was trying, but I blasted forward at absurd speed.

Still holding the sphere in one hand, I flung it at the enemy.

The monster, realizing I was right in front of him, reacted instinctively and jumped back, but…

Boom.

The sphere exploded, expanding and growing until it carved out a massive hole in the ground.

But I felt it—my energy draining, like it was being sucked out by the force of the blast…

It's powerful… but it took way more out of me than I expected.

The monster, sensing the threat, charged at me with fury. Now covered in that liquid veil again, he wasn't playing anymore.

Looks like he's changed his favorite toy… sorry, Darel.

As he closed in, we both started throwing devastating punches. The air cracked, the wind blasted out from every blow, and that annoying ringing noise followed each hit.

But no matter how hard I hit, that beast's punches were insane—and they were hurting me. I could feel my fists going numb, so I backed off fast with a jump.

—"It's insane… I can feel your Lysae overflowing like raw energy."

Damn, Darel said that, wide-eyed. You're catching up fast, you little bastard.

—"I don't know if you noticed how Master Kerl stacked all those layers at once… it gave me a hint. But it's not perfect. It's gonna run out soon… so I need to land a heavy hit fast, finish this, and go help the master." I said, frowning, focused.

—"Alright, got a plan for that?" Darel asked.

—"You elders are smart enough in battle not to give me a clear shot." I grinned with full confidence.

—"That hit better be the real deal," Kalesh said, looking straight at me.

Then Kalesh and Darel charged at the monster, who didn't hesitate to slam into them. The beast ran straight at me too. I charged in as well.

Darel and Kalesh started syncing their attacks again.

Kalesh unleashed compressed air slashes with a screeching sound, cutting deep grooves into the ground.

Darel spat fire into them, igniting the attacks—hoping that if they didn't cut, at least they'd burn the Urvarg.

The Urvarg made a massive leap, dodging the flaming slashes—but he ran right into Kalesh and Darel, who had predicted the move and were already charging up.

Kalesh had channeled all his stored Lysae into his sword, which now radiated a green aura, its edge gleaming with lethal intensity on one side and flowing with almost hypnotic grace on the other.

Meanwhile, Kerl unleashed a barrage of punches, each one wrapped in flame, exploding on impact like living bombs.

The monster's veil began to shine even brighter, and when both attacks landed—BOOM—a huge explosion went off, creating a cloud of smoke so thick I couldn't see through it, let alone get close.

Out of that smoke shot a black silhouette that hit the ground hard, bouncing and carving craters before finally skidding to a stop.

As I focused in… I realized it was Darel.

His mantle had protected him, but he was clearly hurt bad.

Then, the monster emerged from the smoke—its radiant cloak gone—holding Kalesh in its grasp. As it landed, it slammed its fist into the ground using the same hand that clutched Kalesh. The impact was brutal. Kalesh let out a cry of pain, and when the Urvarg raised its arm, it locked eyes with me and began to squeeze, with a clear intent to crush him.

I stood frozen for a second—but then clenched my teeth tight. I released an absurd amount of Lysae and charged with beastly force, frowning, gritting my teeth and fists, yelling:

—"AAAAAAAH!"

…in sync with the thunderous echoes of my footsteps tearing through the ground.

I leapt at the monster in a straight dash, at such speed that the overflowing Lysae left marks behind me. I was so fast the Urvarg didn't even seem to see me coming. I landed a punch infused with Lysae, flames bursting on contact, forcing the beast to recoil from the pain. Then, I grabbed one of its disgusting teeth and slammed it into the ground with everything I had.

I shaped Lysae in my hand like a blade, just like I'd seen Kalesh do, and slashed cleanly at its arm. The cut pierced its flesh, freeing Kalesh from its grip. I jumped back immediately, landing right beside Keia and Aethen. I laid Kalesh down near them… and without a second thought, I launched myself back at the Urvarg.

I unleashed a storm of punches and kicks with all my strength. My face, still furious, exhaled condensed breath with every gasp. My eyes had become unrecognizable, glowing wild with Lysae like living plasma. Every hit against the monster triggered an explosion behind it, as if my rage itself was detonating on impact.

But my movements started to falter… the exhaustion was catching up. The monster noticed. It didn't hesitate: it launched a punch with everything it had. The air compressed between us, roaring like thunder as it came at me.

I shielded my chest with both arms, but the impact was insane.

I felt it… every fiber in my body screamed at once. I was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into the ground so hard I ended up half-buried in the dirt.

Everything began to blur.

✧

The chain of events I witnessed was truly terrifying. I didn't think a battle this brutal would come so soon. We weren't fully prepared—not strong enough yet… I felt powerless, watching every move my friends made.

—"Don't worry, Aethen… they won't lose. Yeroy won't lose. He has to win…" —Keia said, tears streaming down her face.

—"I don't want anything to happen to you," —I replied, teeth clenched—. "I have to fight. I have to help them. You should go back. I'm sure you've regained enough energy to escape. Go!"

I stood up with determination. I had seen how Yeroy gained that insane power… and how he fell, nearly broken.

"They won't lose," that's what Keia said… but now I'm here, with Yeroy's body half-buried in the dirt, and the monster still standing. No more!

I took a deep breath. Channeled my Lysae with all my might. At first, it burst uncontrollably as I tried to stack all the layers, and I only managed four.

No. I have to surpass that. I have to be stronger, or that hellspawn won't fall.

I focused again. Channeled deeper, more precise. I formed seven consecutive layers.

—"Alright… seven. That should do it."

I began shaping them. My body started to glow in a dark violet hue. I could feel my Lysae pulsing, burning from within.

Shaping is hard… but once you understand the trick, it becomes instinct.

Once I finished molding them, I started compressing the layers into my body, one by one, until they fused as one.

It felt insane. The power radiating from me was overwhelming. I didn't understand how something like that could even exist within me.

My eyes glowed intensely. Black fire started leaking from my skin and clothes, like my energy was pouring out without exploding.

It was as if everything I'd learned just from watching… was finally waking up inside me.

—"Keia, I'll protect you with my life, so you'd better value it more. Leave now, so I can fight freely and help the others. Please."

—"Why should I leave? I'm part of the team too, and I can fight. Maybe not directly, but I can give you power, help you fight without draining yours so quickly," —she said, standing up with that firm glow in her eyes.

Looks like I'm not convincing her.

—"Alright then… but stay as far back as you can without losing your power. Save your strength in case you have to get out."

—"After what I did with Darel, I realized my power doesn't drain as fast if I stop imbuing it. So now I can distribute it without wearing myself out like before," —Keia replied. Looks like she's got a plan.

—"Good, then…" —I said, charging up Lysae for another rush— "Let's finish this beast."

Once I was ready, I blasted forward toward the Urvarg like a bolt of lightning. I reached it instantly, surprising both myself and the monster, which didn't see the attack coming and took a brutal hit. Its jaw snapped to the side from the blow.

"This power is insane…" I thought, as I landed more hits, forcing the beast to stagger. But with a fierce roar—"Uaaaaaaggggrrrr!"—it released a violent blast of wind that pushed me several meters back. It was laced with blue Lysae, something we'd seen before. It glared at me with fury, but I could sense its exhaustion. Yeroy's earlier slash had drained a lot of its Lysae, which now leaked from the ground around it.

Its energy, though still powerful, was clearly getting thinner by the second. Still, the beast, enraged and wild, didn't let that stop it. It rushed at me with tremendous speed. I dashed too, leaving a glowing trail of Lysae as I ran, feeling lighter and more agile.

"Keia's boosting me…" I thought, keeping my eyes locked on the monster. Then we clashed again, trading blow after blow. The layer protecting me was dense, durable—the hits didn't hurt as much. We exchanged punches, the Urvarg using only its remaining arm, throwing elbow strikes and punches so fast they looked unreal.

I kept hammering it until I forged a massive amount of Lysae in my right fist—black plasma overflowing like high-pressure flames.

Then I shouted:

—"Black… Shatteeeeeeeeeeer!"

With a tremendous punch, the Urvarg's body was engulfed in black flames. Then—BOOM!—a dark explosion erupted from within, tearing the creature apart.

I watched it crash to the ground. I couldn't tell if it was still breathing. My hand… was shaking. When I looked at it, I saw mild burns. That power's too much for my body. I'll need serious training if I want to use it without breaking myself.

—"Are you okay?" —Keia asked, running to me.

—"Yeah. We need to check on the others. If that thing gets back up, it'll be easier to fight with everyone standing," —I answered.

We moved to Yeroy, who was still unconscious, half-buried in the dirt. I saw Keia start to cry as she looked at him. Together, we carefully pulled him free and laid him down.

I stood up to search for the others while she stayed by his side, wiping his face gently.

I carried Darel, who was slowly regaining consciousness.

—"Ugh… my head's killing me…" —he groaned, holding his forehead.

I helped him to his feet and walked him over to where Kalesh lay. He was in bad shape. Definitely going to spend a good while in the healers' ward…

I carried him carefully and brought both of them to Keia and Yeroy. When I got there, I saw Keia looking at him with deep worry.

—"Do you think he'll recover?" —she asked when she noticed me.

—"We're talking about an impulsive idiot… but he always gets back up," —I replied, half-smiling.

—"Wh…who are you calling an idiot… dumbass?" —Yeroy muttered, waking up.

—"Yeroy!" —Keia cried, hugging him tightly—. "Are you okay?"

—"Feels like… my lungs are being crushed by your hug," —he said with his usual mocking tone.

"This idiot accepts her tears with that line…" I thought, wincing as I watched them.

—"What… happened to the… Urvarg?" —the moron asked.

—"Aethen took it down. He used the same power you showed earlier," —Keia answered, a mix of relief and awe in her voice.

Suddenly, a violent blast shook the ground, sending rocks flying in every direction.

—"Shit! I forgot Kerl was still fighting too," —I said, shielding my face from the cloud of dust.

A deep, mocking voice echoed through the chaos:

—"Do you think you're safe just because you defeated Uv13?" —he laughed with a sinister tone—. "Ushua stof koil." Come to me, my little ones.

Then, the ground began to glow. One by one, magical circles appeared, each one shining with an eerie light that could blind you if you stared too long.

Five in total.

Five magic circles.

And from them…

…came five new beasts.

Five.

More Urvargs.

Again.