Ren had left the danger zone when he heard a loud shout.

“Lord Gards, I bring news!”

‘Gards? Didn’t that old man warn me of this name?’ Ren wondered. After a moment of hesitation, his curiosity won and he returned to the danger zone.

“You dare to lie and waste our time?! Die!” By the time he returned, the enraged giant lifted its sword, prepared to kill another human. This time, it was a fat man.

‘Are these giant creatures called Gards? Or is it this individual's name?’ Ren’s interest was piqued. At the same time, he understood why the old man had warned him of these giant monsters. With weapons, their physical might alone could level fortresses.

“NO! He’s not lying! Please spare him!” Another shout caught him by surprise. However, he faintly recognized the voice.

Staring at the familiar girl, his pupils dilated.

‘It’s her? Damn it! Do you have a death wish?! Get away from those monsters!’ Ren panicked. Nonetheless, she recklessly approached the behemoths.

‘She’s dead! Damn it! Damn it! You dumb woman! …My spicy soup!’ Ren gritted his teeth. He could care little about the girl… but he couldn’t say the same about his favorite food.

Ren’s face flushed with anger. After having the best food of his life, he couldn’t bear to abstain from it. Although he wasn’t sure if the blond teenager cooked the delicious meatballs, he did not want to take a risk.

‘If I intervene… Damn it! I’ll get involved in this mess. But…’ Ren’s composure leaped into oblivion, lighting flames of chaos in his mind. His logic wanted nothing to do this mess, but his craving stomach tugged at his emotions. In the end, a spark lit in his mind, reconciling the polar enemies.

‘I’ll hire her as my… ehm, the Zarstorm’s cook. That way she’ll be a part of the clan, someone worth protecting. Brilliant!’ The monster bent to grab the teenager. Ren was running out of time!

‘How should I intervene? I’ll have to depend on Forbidden Skills. But will that be enough?’ Ren rubbed his aching forehead. His gaze wandered to the muddy ground, focusing on a lonely stone.

His eyes brightened as he pocketed the stone. He scanned his surroundings for more potential weapons. However, his vicinity was devoid of other large stones. He frowned before punching the wall of a hut. Pulling and pushing, he obtained a few chunks of the solid mud, which he quickly pocketed.

Taking a deep breath, he dashed towards the giants.

[‘Pain Series: Body Enhancement!’] The muscles on his body bulged. Like a moth approaching a flame, he charged at the giant.

“NOOOO! PLEASE NOT MY DAUGHTER!” The fat man shouted.

Ren leaped onto the giant’s leg. Using his accumulated knowledge and experience in natural energy, he climbed the giant, barely holding onto its scaly skin.

“Kre?” The giant noticed Ren and looked down. Its bulging eyes focused on the tiny ant on its abdomen.

Ren gathered his natural energy into his arm. Due to the monster’s protruding head, the distance between them was within Ren’s throwing range.

He threw the stone!

Tsiu! Tchikk! The stone tore into the giant’s eye.

“KAAAA!!!” The Gard shouted. Losing balance, it collapsed. The huts couldn’t cushion its fall as they were crushed to bits. Discarding its sword, the Gard covered its bleeding eye.

Ren struggled to stay attached to the Gard's scales. His reserve of natural energy plunged quickly, nearing depletion. As the monster collapsed, its sword entered his vision. It stood at a height of about 5 meters, much taller than Ren.

Staring at the humongous weapon, his eyes glistened. A borderline insane idea popped into his mind. He instantly changed his original plan and dashed to the weapon.

Holding the giant sword’s hilt, he closed his eyes.

‘Glove… I’m counting on you.’ The veins in his arm bulged as he tugged at the weapon. With a little exertion, he lifted the monstrous sword.

Hoisting the massive weapon above his head, Ren indulged in the surreal moment. However, he snapped out of his daze and swung his sword, targeting the giant head.

Tchish! The giant stopped moving. Ren pulled the surrounding natural energy into his body, replenishing his empty meridians.

‘Is she okay?’ Ren glanced at the monster’s arm. It was clenched, holding his potential cook.

‘No! Not now! The other giant first!’ Dragging the humongous sword, he hurried towards the second giant.

The second giant roared. Its foot zoomed towards Ren, intent on crushing him to paste.

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As the leg neared, the sky darkened. The foot covered Ren’s line of sight.

With a swift movement, Ren slanted his sword, positioning the blade between himself and the giant.

If the giant wished to trample him, it would have to face the blade’s edge first. However, the lizard monster recognized his present a little too late.

The giant stamped on the sword’s edge. Ren tightened his grip on the weapon. The residual impact of the giant's stamp nearly shattered his wrist. Fortunately, his glove bore an unparalleled majority of the force.

“KRAAA!” The monster shouted and withdrew its leg. Grey blood dripped down the sword’s edge. However, unlike its partner, this Gard did not collapse.

The giant’s state did not slip past Ren's notice. He leaped onto the monster’s leg and dashed towards its head.

“Kraaa!”

Ren reached the giant’s abdomen when his natural energy dropped to a negligible amount. Gritting his teeth, he swung his sword. The long reach of the sword favored him as the blade cut through the giant’s protruding head, spraying greyish blood everywhere. A pungent smell permeated throughout the area.

Fighting his urge to gag, Ren jumped from the falling giant.

THUD! The giant collapsed. Ren let out a relieved sigh and tossed the weapon. Ignoring the element of surprise, the monsters’ inexperience helped him achieve a victory. However, without the glove, he doubted if he could handle both the giants.

As he relaxed his body, the backlash from his Forbidden Skill struck. He gritted his teeth for a few moments, letting the pain subside.

He noticed that his newfound cook had left the giant’s arm. He studied her, searching for any fatal wounds.

Her hair was disheveled. Besides her wrinkled clothes, she looked unhurt.

Ren wanted to call her when he realized that he didn’t know her name. Annoyed, he resorted to using a simple...

“You!”

“Yes, Lord.” She replied subserviently, surprising Ren. Nevertheless, he preferred it over an arrogant or indifferent attitude.

He approached her, intent on reaping his rewards for the battle.

“Become my chef!” He offered his arm. However, she didn’t instantly accept his offer.

Ren grew upset, wondering what other incentives he could offer. However, before he could come to a decision, the girl’s behavior changed drastically.

She cried before accepting his palm.

‘Is that a... yes? A... reluctant yes? I don't like coercion but, whatever.’ Ren removed the unwanted thoughts in his mind. Looking at the corpses, he sighed.

“What's your name?”

“Della Kelchon.”

“Della, leave this area immediately! Don’t tell anyone about… this.” He pointed at the giant corpses. Della nodded and his opinion of her instantly grew better.

“Good, I’ll meet you later.”

Without wasting another moment, Ren escaped from the pungent hell. His gaze focused on the roof of a distant hut.

A masked man levitated above the roof. His large bat wings sucked in all the light around him, giving his immediate surroundings a feeling of the night.

“Who are you?”

“Honored Guest, I am the servant of Lord Discipline, a servant of the Council.”

“Are you here to punish me for killing those monsters?” Ren’s eyes narrowed.

“…No, Honored Guest need not fret. I do not care for the lives of such inferior creatures. My goal is to offer an invitation. You and your companion, the searcat are hereby summoned to meet His Grace, The Divine Emperor. Dawn, two days from now, I’ll be expecting you at the Mother Tree.” The masked man flew into the air before fading.

Ren sighed in relief, thankful that he didn’t have to battle the masked man. His instincts despised the idea of fighting the mysterious being.

‘A bat-winged humanoid, giant lizard-monsters called Gards, sentient beasts, a whole different magic system with teleportation…’ Considering all the differences in his new environment, the light in his eyes dimmed.

‘Just how far am I from home?’ Ren sighed again.

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Chinzu returned with a bruised Nez. They had gone on an adventure of their own, but they refused to disclose the details to Ren. Although he didn't know what happened to them, Nez's mood had improved and this pleased him.

Lounging in the restaurant, they chatted.

“Nehahaha! I, Lord Nez, will become the Divine Emperor. I will abolish the slavery of humans and use them to their full potential!”

“Nez-zi is planning to make them work harder?” Chinzu giggled.

“Nah! I’ll make you work harder!”

Watching their interaction, Ren smiled. However, his smile faded quickly as he decided to convey an important decision to Chinzu.

‘Zuzi? Can you hear me?’

‘…Yes. Why is Ren-zi using telepathy?’

‘I’m planning to leave Everleaf forest on the next available route.’

‘I understand. Does Ren-zi want to keep this a secret from Nez-zi?’

‘No. I’ll inform him later.’

After a few seconds of silence, Zuzi spoke.

‘Will Ren-zi return?’

Ren hesitated. Thinking of his clan, he sighed inwardly.

‘Probably no. But, my sister might visit.’

‘Ren-zi has a sister?’ Ren smiled at the excitement in Zuzi’s voice.

‘Yes, I want you to show her around the forest. Everleaf is a beautiful place.’

‘Sure, I’ll give both Ren-zi and Sister-zi a tour of the forest.’

‘…Thanks.’ Ren stared out the window, lost in the sunset.

'Nell, are you seeing this sunset? Stay strong! I'll return soon.' He smiled, entering a daze.

Thud! A door slammed open. Della rushed out of the backdoor, carrying a chair and a mat. She glanced at the group and shouted.

“What are you doing? You’re going to miss Luster Night!”

“Neho!? It’s Luster Night?! Nehaha! Lord Nez won’t miss it!” Nez jumped out the window in haste.

Even Chinzu seemed excited as she hurried to the door. Confused, Ren could only follow them.

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The group gathered outside the restaurant, staring at the star-lit sky. The sun had just set and everyone looked excited.

Even the ordinary people had stopped their work to stargaze.

While excitement lit up everyone’s faces, one person stood confused within this enthusiastic mob. It was none other than Ren.

“Nez, what’s going on?”

“It’s Luster Night!” The cat shouted gleefully.

Ren grew annoyed. He understood the meaning of the two terms separately, but together, they didn't make any sense.

“What is Luster Night?”

“Were you living in a swamp your whole life? Nehaha, just look above!”

Ren shook his head disapprovingly. Nevertheless, the excitement in the air had won his curiosity.

A star shone brighter than the rest. As seconds passed, it outshone its companions. Even the moon paled in comparison.

The world fell silent. Everyone stared at the star, awed by the mystical power of the celestial kingdom.

The star released a purple light. It spread throughout the sky, turning the night sky purple. Under its influence, even the moon glowed in a lighter shade of purple.

No one spoke. Everyone appreciated the breathtaking scenery. Men, women, and children… the human population cried in joy. The purple sky wiped their worries, renewing their energy to persevere in their dreary lives.

However, one person had a drastically different reaction.

While others celebrated, Ren’s heart sank. The purple light shone onto his dreams, vaporizing them into nothingness. All of his plans crumbled under the purple sky. One dreadful thought dominated his mind.

‘Where am I?’ His face paled.

He was far away from home... However, the word ‘far’ could no longer describe the distance.