As the morning sun rose, Katheryne greeted her family, but her mother, ever the concerned one, asked her to stay for breakfast.
"I have business to attend to first," Katheryne said hurriedly, her voice filled with urgency.
Without waiting for a reply, she stormed out of the house, her feet carrying her quickly to the nearby outpost. When she arrived, she found Robinson looking tired, his face showing the strain of the previous night's ordeal. Beside him, Nagal was still eagerly asking question after question about Burash Country and its desert.
Seeing Katheryne approach, both of them turned toward her. Panting from her run, Katheryne caught her breath before speaking.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I have to ask," Katheryne said, her voice slightly breathless. "Did you say last night that you were after some cultists?"
Robinson nodded, his expression serious. "Yeah, that's right. We traced their movements. They were first spotted at Omasu Harbor and made their way across the Continent of Merk. But it didn't stop there. They continued on to Myriad Country, and after taking a secret passage, they just... disappeared."
Katheryne's face grew worried as she listened to his words. The news was troubling.
But Nagal, seemingly unbothered by the situation, shook his head with a dismissive chuckle.
"Well, Myriad has a full Paladins Order guarding it. I highly doubt those cultists would dare do anything too reckless. Any form of terrorism there would be stopped before it even began. If they're still in Myriad, I'd be surprised if they're even alive by now."
Robinson let out a laugh, though it was tinged with uncertainty. "Hahaha, yeah, I don't doubt it. But judging from the recent monster attack, I'd say they're still alive. Don't worry, though. My older sister is already investigating their whereabouts."
Katheryne and Nagal, both distracted by the conversation, suddenly became aware of a strange stillness in the air. The outpost had fallen eerily silent, and neither of them had noticed when the guards had disappeared.
The usual sounds of bustling activity—the murmurs of soldiers, the clinking of armor, and the occasional shout—were now absent. It felt as though the entire area had frozen in time. Katheryne's instincts immediately flared, sensing something was off.
Nagal furrowed his brow, looking around. "Where are the guards?" he muttered, his voice now tinged with suspicion.
Katheryne's eyes narrowed, and she instinctively reached for her sword. "Something isn't right," she said, her tone hardening.
Katheryne informed Robinson and Nagal that she would search for the missing guards, but Robinson quickly interjected, suggesting it would be safer to go in pairs while one stayed behind at the outpost. After a brief moment of thought, Nagal agreed to stay back, his focus remaining on the area around them.
"Alright," Nagal said, his voice calm but with an edge of wariness. "But be cautious."
Katheryne and Robinson set off, their footsteps crunching against the gravel as they made their way into the woods. A subtle sensation lingered in the air—like a watchful presence. Katheryne couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following them. She glanced over her shoulder, but all she saw were the trees, shadows stretching in the early morning light.
Nagal, still at the outpost, paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes as if sensing something off. But it was gone as quickly as it came. He shifted his weight uneasily but remained still, watching over the area.
As Katheryne and Robinson approached the edge of the forest, they each took a magic crystal from Robinson.
"Here, take this. In case something happens, it'll help us locate each other," Robinson explained, handing Katheryne a small, glowing blue crystal.
"Thanks," Katheryne nodded, slipping it into a pouch at her belt.
They ventured deeper into the forest, surrounded by the constant sounds of nature—the rustle of leaves, distant birdcalls, and the crunch of their boots on the undergrowth. The air was thick with tension, though neither of them voiced it. Instead, they fell into a casual conversation.
"So you say you're here with your older sister?" Katheryne asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and concern.
Robinson gave a short nod. "Yeah, she's a mercenary too—another member of the Night Raven Guild."
Katheryne's eyes widened with interest. "The Night Raven Guild? I've heard stories about them. They say the leader was one of the legendary Twelve Heroes who saved the world from the Daemon Invasion, six hundred years ago."
Robinson smiled, his tone light but carrying a hint of fondness. "Yeah, that's our boss, Raven Beak. No one truly knows his real name, not even his children—probably not even his wife."
Katheryne frowned slightly, trying to make sense of it. "Why does Raven Beak hide his name or identity? Is it some kind of trademark?"
Robinson chuckled, shaking his head. "No, nothing like that. It's just... well, not even the oldest records mention his name. Not a single one of the Twelve Heroes knew who he really was. It's like he's a shadow."
Katheryne raised an eyebrow. "That's... strange. But if he's such a legend, surely his name would be known by now."
Robinson gave a small, almost wistful smile. "Yeah, you'd think so. But that's just how he is. Doesn't let the fame get to his head. Still, he's probably the nicest guy you could meet in Burash, despite the mystery."
Katheryne's curiosity deepened. "A legend and humble, huh? I guess I really need to meet this Raven Beak."
"Yeah... he really is a legend," Robinson agreed, his voice tinged with respect. "But don't let it fool you—he's not all business. He's more than just a mercenary. He's a man who knows how to balance things out."
Katheryne nodded thoughtfully. "I've read some records about the Twelve Heroes... They say their leader, Nurlela, had a sibling who was also one of the Twelve Heroes of that generation."
Robinson's expression softened slightly. "Yeah, that was Chika. They trained together, studied at the same academy, and adventured together. It wasn't uncommon back then. Actually, Raven Beak's wife and daughter were also part of the Twelve Heroes."
Katheryne blinked in surprise. "Wow... I guess being a hero really is like a family business."
Robinson laughed, his eyes sparkling. "Yeah, you could say that. Mercenaries, family business. But there's more to it, really."
Katheryne was about to ask more when her instincts suddenly kicked in. The air around them shifted, the sounds of the forest now feeling off-balance. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she paused mid-step, her eyes scanning the surroundings.
Robinson stopped walking too, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his sword.
"Careful," says Robinson.
"Don't worry," Katheryne assures him, before drawing her twin swords.
As something moves fast toward them, big and swift under the shadows of the forest, Katheryne prepares to strike.
But suddenly, Nagal reveals himself.
"Wait, don't attack!" says Nagal.
"Mr. Nagal? I thought you were staying at the outpost," says Robinson.
"Yeah, I wanted to inform you that the guards have returned, but moreover, they said there's something you all need to see," says Nagal.
Nagal leads them, and they follow him. But for a brief moment, Katheryne feels something unusual.
"Don't," a strange whisper could be heard by her.
"Run," another whisper follows.
Hearing this, Katheryne grabs both Robinson and Nagal.
"Stop," she whispers quietly.
The three then stay silent without making a sound.
It's revealed that some trees are moving in abnormal ways as if they are being absorbed into the ground.
None of them dare to move.
"What is this?" Nagal quietly asks.
"Something... below the ground," Robinson whispers.
"No... Something below is," says Katheryne, her head tilting to look at the ground beneath her feet.
She notices the landscape is unnatural—the placement of the rocks. Only then does she realize that the land she's currently standing on is, in fact, the body of a giant monster.
Not a single sound from the nearby animals can be heard. Before long, the sound of elephants running can be heard, but in an instant, the monster reveals its body—a giant, worm-like creature with trees for teeth. It grabs the elephants and buries them underground. The monster is so large, it may as well be the size of an airplane. Its movement causes the three of them to fall, but the monster doesn't notice, thinking they are just rocks.
As the group slowly moves away toward the light, they quickly reach the edge of the forest. Thinking they are safe, they still don't dare make any noticeable sounds.
They hear loud shouts coming from their way.
It's Katharina, who is with her parents.
"Hey, it's sister!" says Katharina, while her parents seem to notice them as well. However, they don't think much of it and allow Katharina to run toward Katheryne.
This proves to be a grave mistake.
Without a second thought, Katheryne tries to warn her sister to stay away from the forest, but due to their distance, they can't hear each other clearly.
"NO!! Katharina!! Stay there, don't come any closer!!" Katheryne shouts, running toward her sister.
But unfortunately, without any sign or warning, the monster jumps from the forest, showing its massive body towering over the trees. The creature walks on four legs and has a lizard-like body, but its main body resembles that of a worm. Its mouth is enormous, with teeth nearly as big as small trees.
The monster charges straight toward Katharina.
Katheryne tries to stop it by freezing her surroundings, but the monster is too big and too fast.
Robinson uses his lightning arrows, while Nagal throws a fireball to distract the creature, but to no avail.
Katheryne's father immediately jumps in front of his daughter, casting a magic barrier, but the monster strikes them with its massive arms, throwing Katharina and her father aside.
Katharina, terrified by the sight, screams and tries to run away, while her father can't move, groaning in pain.
The monster jumps to strike Katharina before the local mages and guards begin attacking it. The guards use their weapons and abilities to try to immobilize the creature, while the mages keep barraging it with spells. As the monster screams in pain, it spins around, accidentally destroying a nearby tower outpost where the mages are located.
The monster then continues chasing Katharina. Katheryne jumps in front of it, and a grueling battle ensues.
Katheryne calls upon her swords. After crossing them, a blizzard covers the entire area.
But the monster, with its wormlike face and giant mouth, looks at the sky and begins vomiting oil from its body.
This puzzles Katheryne. Unfortunately, before long, the oil hits a nearby torch and sets the entire area on fire. The blizzards and fire clash, creating a mist and fog that obscures everyone's vision.
As the mist disperses, the monster is no longer in front of Katheryne. It has merged with the surrounding ground.
It then spawns wooden spikes all over the area. Some of the spikes manage to hit Katheryne, but her armor blocks the strikes.
Katheryne summons a light beam while chanting from her book. The beam destroys the landscape, severely injuring the monster.
As the monster emerges from the ground and attacks Katheryne with its claws, she parries all of its strikes with her twin blades. She cuts open the monster's stomach, wounding it.
The monster then sprays another batch of oil. Before it can hit her, Katheryne uses her magic to shield herself.
Katheryne continues attacking, switching between her magic catalyst and twin swords. Desperately, the monster tries to find a fire source, but before it can, a lightning arrow strikes it from behind.
Unable to move, the monster can only watch as Katheryne jumps into the sky and cuts it in two.
The monster dies without much resistance.
Katharina, watching from a distance, is in awe. She shouts and cheers for Katheryne.
Unfortunately, a second monster appears and grabs Katharina. Without hesitation, Katheryne rushes toward the monster as it puts Katharina into its mouth.
She summons magic crystal spears and throws them at the monster, pinning it to a nearby building, before rushing toward it.
Robinson removes his clothes to reveal a pair of wings and immediately flies, bumping into Katheryne.
Katheryne, in shock, saw Robinson being attacked by another monster from below, which appeared to be biting him.
Katheryne, barely recovered, was torn between whether to save Robinson or her sister.
But Robinson screamed, "Take care of your sister first!" as he was dragged away by the monster.
Without thinking, Katheryne rushed toward the monster that held her sister.
As the monster began to bite Katharina, she screamed in pain. Katheryne threw her swords, which struck both of its front legs.
As the monster froze, unable to move, Katheryne punched its face so hard that its mouth opened.
Through the opening, Katheryne saw her sister still alive, though some of her limbs had been torn apart.
Katheryne grabbed her sister and, without hesitation, cast a fireball directly into the monster's throat.
The explosion tore through the monster's body, killing it instantly.
Katharina could only cry in pain, hugging Katheryne, her legs torn and showing signs of poisoning.
Katheryne tried to heal the wound, but to no avail.
Looking into her sister's eyes, Katheryne spoke softly, "Katharina, look at me. Alright? Know that I love you, but you have to endure this pain for a while."
Katheryne then placed some clothes in Katharina's mouth to muffle her screams.
Slowly, she began to amputate Katharina's leg to stop the poison and prevent infection.
Katharina, growling in pain and fear, could only hug her sister.
Even though Katheryne used magic to ease the pain, without proper medication, the agony was so overwhelming that Katharina passed out.
As Katheryne, crying, patched her little sister's wounds and covered them with bandages, she didn't notice another monster approaching from behind.
She was stunned, unable to move, as her sister was in such bad shape.
Her swords were far away from her. "Is this it?" Katheryne felt a chill run down her spine as she prepared to be eaten by the monster.
The monster rushed toward her. Katheryne thought this would be her last moment. She kissed her sister's forehead and whispered, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," to her unconscious sister.
But suddenly, a shadow moved from her back.
The shadows cut the monster in half with a single slash.
Another monster noticed and became interested in the shadowy figure.
With a single stare into its eyes, the monster suddenly caught fire—not just any fire, but black flames that burned so intensely that the monster was reduced to nothing but ashes.
The shadowy figure then swiftly moved Katheryne and her sister to a safer location near the village hall.
It happened so fast, almost in an instant.
Katheryne didn't even realize she had been moved inside the building, and no villagers inside noticed her presence either. It was as though they had been blinked into the space.
Without rest, Katheryne stood up and asked a nearby villager for medication. She gathered alcohol and other supplies for her sister.
A local healer took care of Katharina before Katheryne went outside to assess the situation.
Katheryne ran as fast as she could, but many guards and villagers outside had no idea what had happened. They said the monster had suddenly died, or whatever killed it was so fast that not even the eyes could perceive it.
Katheryne then met Nagal, her father, and Robinson, who was sitting a bit farther away with an elf lady in front of him.
"I told you not to overdo it. You should head back home," said the elf lady.
Despite his injuries, Robinson put on a pissed-off face. "No, for the last time, Blanchette, I'm alright. I can take care of myself. I just got caught off guard," Robinson said.
"Well, do as you wish then." Blanchette then flew away with her magic wings.
"How is everyone?" Katheryne asked, her voice full of worry.
Her father reassured her that he was alright, and so were the others.
Katheryne then approached Robinson and personally thanked him for saving her.
"Thanks, without you, I'd already be dead," she said, her voice filled with gratitude.
Robinson only smiled. "Nah, don't mention it. I'll be alright."
However, it was no secret that Robinson was badly injured.
Nagal and Katheryne then carried her father and Robinson to the local clinic.
As afternoon came, Katharina opened her eyes and saw Katheryne praying beside her.
"Sis?" Katharina said in a faint voice.
Katheryne immediately hugged her sister.
"It's alright, everything's going to be alright," Katheryne whispered as she hugged her sister tightly.
It took some time before Katharina realized she had lost both of her legs. She then cried out in despair, "No... I wanted to be a paladin like you too!"
Katheryne just held her, not saying a word.
Katharina didn't stop crying until the night came.
Though her father was allowed to leave, Katheryne insisted on staying with her sister at the clinic, even though their mother was already there.
The family decided to stay together at the clinic until Katharina was allowed to go home.