Mieren was still standing outside the white mist. He held a lantern, trying to peer inside.
A soldier approached.
"Lord Mieren, I think we should return to the nest."
Mieren remained still, staring into the mist.
"I'm still not at ease. This fog… it's something truly mysterious."
Eerie sounds echoed from within the mist, frightening even the warriors of Anteria.
"My lord, this really doesn't feel right!"
Suddenly, from within the mist, the sharp leg of a giant spider thrust outward.
"Watch out, Lord Mieren!"
A warrior rushed forward and pulled Mieren away.
The monster's massive leg pierced straight through the ground where Mieren had just been standing.
The giant spider slowly stepped out of the mist before their eyes.
"Grimpotria…"
Mieren stared at the enormous spider as it strode forward on its colossal legs, softly uttering its name.
Its massive silhouette towered even above the tallest plants in Greenpath.
Back to Shinji's group, everyone was stunned when their blade struck the creature—only for the sword to crack.
"What the hell is that?!"
Gumber exclaimed in shock.
"Do you ever say anything else?"
Lumber remarked at his younger brother.
Inside Lio's bag, Zoe gradually recognized the strange beetle.
"Hey… look at it…"
The creature had a round body, its sharp mandibles sunk deep into Akidou's calf.
"It's… Gagan… Gaganthocerus!"
Lumber turned to Zoe.
"What kind of name is that? Why's it so long?"
Akidou, in pain, tried to stand despite the beetle still clamping tightly onto his leg.
"Now's not the time to read out names… Move, let's go!"
The beetle's four sharp hind legs kept clawing at Akidou's leg, causing even more blood to flow.
"This species usually lives underwater. I don't understand why it's here."
Zoe explained, but Akidou seemed too preoccupied to care.
Shinji set down the bag of bread along with Beast and Ceasar.
He ran over to help Omelet up.
"Akidou, get on my back. Your leg's not okay."
Akidou stood on one foot, lifting the leg that had been bitten.
"No need. I can walk on my own."
Gumber, sitting on Alba's shoulder, looked hesitant.
"Hey kid. If you keep standing like that, your leg's going to rot."
"Then get down and let him sit!"
Lumber immediately dragged his younger brother down from Alba's shoulder.
"Wait—"
Akidou stubbornly refused.
"Just listen for once. Stop being so stubborn."
Alba hoisted Akidou onto his shoulder.
Shinji was carrying Omelet in front, and Alba took Omelet into his arms as well.
"That's better."
The beetle continued clawing at Akidou's calf, making him cry out in pain.
Blood ran down along Alba's shoulder.
"Does it hurt, Akidou?"
Akidou forced himself to endure the pain and turned to smile at Alba.
"No… I'm fine!"
From inside Lio's bag, Zoe called out:
"Do you have anything to stop the bleeding? That beetle's venom prevents clotting—you'll keep bleeding like this."
Akidou looked down to answer.
"No. I don't know how to use those herbs. And if we stand here too long, we'll become monster bait."
Zoe jumped out of Lio's bag, climbed onto Alba's shoulder, and examined Akidou's wound.
"This species bites straight into its prey's head, then uses its legs to tear the head off before eating."
The beetle kept clawing, drawing even more blood.
Lio suddenly crouched down, searching the ground.
"What is it, Lio?" Alba asked.
Lio gathered some withered vines from the ground. Standing up, he held them in his hands.
He quickly tied the beetle's legs tightly, forcing it to stop moving.
"Maybe… I'll just mix some medicine randomly. It might work."
Shinji prepared to use the herbal pouch Olivia had given them.
But before he could take it from Lio, a thunderous roar erupted.
"What was that?!"
Gumber panicked.
From within the mist, a gigantic horn emerged.
Its massive shadow covered the ground, making the fog seem even darker.
It tore through the mist, growling continuously.
"Hey… should we run?" Lumber said, staring upward.
"Run! It's going to eat us!"
Gumber shouted and immediately bolted forward, leading the others.
At the spot where they had been standing, the horn and the massive silhouette suddenly vanished.
Boom!
A colossal, spiked tail slammed down, cracking the earth apart.
As they kept running, Akidou, having lost too much blood, grew dizzy. He began seeing illusions, repeatedly calling out someone's name.
"Hakarl… what are you doing…?"
The others couldn't understand what he was saying.
"What's he talking about?" Shinji asked while running.
"He's probably hallucinating from blood loss," Zoe replied.
"Stop… Hakarl…"
Akidou kept repeating the name as his vision blurred.
The voices around him became faint and distant.
His sight went completely dark.
"Where… am I…?"
Akidou wondered.
Before him stood a small, decaying wooden house.
"Akidou, get up!"
He turned around.
"Someone… who's there…?"
Another child stood before him, reaching out a hand.
"Get up. If you sit there too long, your father will scold you."
The dilapidated hut was pierced by beams of sunlight shining through the cracks, illuminating Akidou's face.
"Where is this?"
Akidou asked. The sunlight obscured the child's face.
"It's our base. Our secret base!"
Akidou slowly stood up, a sense of familiarity washing over him.
"This place… feels so familiar…"
But then the figure began drifting farther away, and the surroundings grew darker.
"Wait… wait…"
The child was pulled farther into the distance.
"Akidou, I'll wait for you. We'll go back and cure your grandfather."
Akidou stood frozen. Just before the child disappeared completely, he finally remembered the name.
"Hakarl… I promise! I'll come back!"
Outside, Akidou was still on Alba's back, but his eyes had turned lifeless, his lips mumbling incoherent words.
"I want… to be… a doctor…"
Alba held him tightly to keep him from falling, calling out repeatedly.
"Hey, wake up, Akidou!"
Akidou continued to murmur:
"Grandpa… I will…"