After running for quite a distance, Clayton finally turned around to see what had actually happened. But when he looked out over the sea, the water appeared calm—there was no sign of anything unusual. That confirmed it: the problem hadn't come from the ocean.
He scanned the surroundings and eventually spotted smoke rising in the west, far from where he stood. Clayton wondered if the commotion had finally broken out among the crowd near the gate. He hesitated—should he approach, or avoid the place entirely?
Unable to decide, he stalled by pretending to forage nearby. Yet, he found nothing of value. Even after swimming close to shore in hopes of catching fish, he came up empty-handed. The creatures he encountered were either zero-star monsters or not magical beasts at all. Some had barely any meat, lacked magical energy, or were simply poisonous and full of bones.
