Later, as the sun dipped behind the mountains, giving way to the dangerously cold night, five people sat on wooden logs surrounding a campfire.
Cliff took a bite of his meat, chewing quickly and swallowing with satisfaction.
"Damn, this is so good!"
Across from him, a blonde man sat, eagerly waiting for his portion to cook, which, of course, Dahlia was preparing.
"You seem to like the Ibara clan's spices, sir," he said, his long ears twitching slightly.
"Yeah, I really do. I also like how it's prepared," Cliff replied. "The texture is well-maintained, giving it a strong flavor."
The elf handed him a bowl containing a liquid.
"Here, sir, try this. I don't think you'll regret it," he said, glancing at Rakahn and Dahlia as if gauging their reactions. "It's one of our specialties, from the elf clan."
"What is it?" Cliff asked, stirring the suspicious liquid. "It smells really good."
"It's a stew made from horned rabbit intestines and some fruits we cultivate. It's even better when you dip bread from the Orion clan into it. Pure deliciousness," the elf said, licking his fingers.
Without hesitation, Cliff dipped the skewer of meat into the sauce, letting it soak for a moment before taking a bite.
"This is amazing!" he exclaimed, eyes wide. "It melts in your mouth."
The elf smirked, enjoying the moment, until Cliff shifted the conversation.
"That young man... Akumu, told me that the elf clan was present during the massacre of the Dhakat clan," Cliff said. "How could something like that happen? Do you know what caused the waves?"
A heavy silence fell over the group. The elf's expression darkened, the flickering firelight reflecting in his emerald eyes.
"Where to begin... The Dhakat clan was our neighbor. There was hardly any distance between us. When the waves started a week ago, we defended ourselves together until the worst happened."
"The worst?" Cliff asked, trying to imagine what could be worse than what they had already faced.
"Yes, sir. A horde of two hundred ogres led by a mutant ogre. That can definitely be considered the worst," the elf replied. "They invaded, slaughtering everything in their path. To them, we were just prey, sorting us by who to capture or eat," he said, his face twisting in horror.
"A mutant?" Cliff repeated to himself, his expression darkening. Rakahn had explained to him that these creatures were terrifying. The "food chain," as it was called, was a classification of creatures based on their evolution, essence refinement, and rank in the hierarchy. This system had existed since the war a thousand years ago, when monsters were pushed back but not eradicated.
Ogres, categorized as "monsters," varied in strength depending on their rank. Individually, they were as strong as the demonic rat.
"Damn, I hope I don't run into too many of those."
"Wait... How did you survive?" Cliff asked, cutting off the elf. "Isn't your clan less suited for combat?"
"Forgive me, sir, but it's not that our clan isn't suited for combat. We elves specialize in 'summoning elemental spirits.' However, the rank of the spirits was too high for our unawakened essence stones, so after casting two or three spells, we were completely drained and vulnerable," he retorted, annoyance in his voice.
Dahlia frowned, visibly irritated by the elf's tone, but Cliff gestured for her to calm down. He nodded at the elf to continue, which he did.
"All we know is that several high-ranking rifts have opened in the area. We have two theories: either the arrival of high-ranked creatures pushed the weaker ones toward us, or they were attracted by something. During the battles, we noticed that these creatures seemed to lack intelligence, acting purely on instinct. But their behavior became more and more... strange."
"Like they were being controlled?" Cliff asked, his eyes searching for answers.
"Yes, sir. It was as if something was controlling them," the elf replied.