When Garrick was finally explained what was happening, with the help of the falcons, he was told to search the surrounding area for another target.

The falcons took off at once and began scouting for beasts nearby and returned within minutes.

Following their lead, the group soon found themselves in front of a feline beast that Theo had seen for the first time in this world.

It was... strange.

The creature had a long, red beard flowing down its chin. Other than that, it resembled a lioness, even though it was clearly a male.

It wasn’t in a clearing or anything, but beneath a dry, ancient-looking tree.

Theo immediately sent the mantis forward. It released its spores, and before the lioness-like beast could even reach, it collapsed into unconsciousness, and the group quickly moved in to tie it up.

When the creature regained consciousness, it struggled to break free, but the bindings held it firm, making it impossible for it to even move.

The two apes of the group, one armed with a sword, the other eerily expressionless, were tasked with carrying the restrained beast with them as they moved on.

Yet throughout it all, Theo couldn’t shake the unease creeping in his heart.

They had come this far. Surely, they could aim for capturing more than just the smaller beasts.

The smaller beasts were important, yes, but at the same time, the larger beasts were just a lot better in comparison.

A short while later, when the falcons returned from scouting again. This time, one perched on a nearby tree branch and began making distinct sounds in a rhythmic pattern.

Theo’s eyes widened.

That was their signal they had made the falcon inform them if something important was chosen for them, but they would need to be wary while approaching it.

Without hesitation, they decided to follow the falcon forward.

Only when they had walked a few minutes did they start realizing which direction they were heading.

"It’s taking us to the south..." Theo spoke out loud, making Lucien nod.

Still, the falcon didn’t stop and urged them to move forward.

They paused for a moment, weighing the risk, thinking if this was the right decision. In the end, Theo chose caution over.

He decided to slow down and be wary but still follow.

There came a point where, beyond the trees, Theo caught sight of the red silhouette of the giant beast beyond a few trees.

They halted instinctively, more than once, but the falcons remained persistent enough to make them move forward.

"Young master... we should stop," Clara urged, noticing how close the falcon was getting to the beast as it waited for them, who were walking slowly.

"..." Theo didn’t respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the falcons.

And after a few seconds, something clicked.

"Don’t you think these falcons are... a little too close to the beast?" he asked, making others look again with the same intent, frowning.

"Weren’t they always a little too close?" Lucien questioned uncertainly.

By this point, no one had stopped moving, their curiosity drawing them closer to the beast.

The falcons hovered dangerously close to the beast, and it looked like they were near one of the beast’s massive legs, yet it showed no reaction.

But with so many thick trees obscuring their vision, it felt like they couldn’t make out most of the things.

It wasn’t until a minute later, when Theo felt his bond turn chaotic, and the mantis emerged a second later.

"Mantis, stay," Theo commanded right away.

But the moment it appeared, its gaze locked forward, unmoving, unblinking.

Theo gave the command three more times, but all the mantis did was stare ahead.

Then it sent a wave of emotions through their bond, making Theo frown.

"Mantis says it can smell blood from that big beast," Theo spoke, drawing everyone’s attention.

"You mean it’s injured?" Kaelor asked, trying to move his face left and right to get a better look.

"It’s all red-coloured anyway; it’s hard to tell which part of its body is injured and which isn’t," he added when Theo remained silent.

Theo narrowed his eyes and muttered. "I think Sir Garrick is trying to show us something... but still wants us to be careful."

At that moment, the mantis stepped forward, and even before Theo could tell it to stop...

It turned into a blinding white streak and shot ahead.

When Theo spotted the mantis again, it was already halfway closer to the beast, which loomed larger with every passing second and every step they took.

Theo quickened his pace as he moved forward, the others following behind immediately. He couldn’t risk the mantis doing anything reckless that would make them regret it later.

Lucien watched it with barely concealed anger, and while Knight Kaelor remained composed, he had a serious expression as if he were ready for anything.

But when Theo actually broke into a run, chasing after the now even faster mantis, they all slowed down to a halt and looked up.

The forest was gone. The shade was gone.

All that remained before them was a gigantic creature, as vast as Theo’s castle.

The longer Theo looked at its red, scaly skin, the more shivers ran through his spine.

The beast was far beyond them, beyond anything they should be facing. Everyone realized it the moment they stepped into its presence.

"Look at that," Kaelor said, forcing his voice steady and trying to keep his composure. He raised a hand, pointing toward a certain location.

Theo followed his gaze and finally saw it clearly.

A cluster of beasts clung to the giant beast’s hide, tugging at it with their teeth.

They were so far away that it felt like it would take at least a full minute of normal sprinting to even reach those creatures.

"Why isn’t it fighting back...?" Theo couldn’t help but mutter.

But one thing was clear: the beast wasn’t normal.

It wasn’t anything like the beasts they had encountered till now, not even the lion-like beasts they had at the side to move forward here.

And in all that chaos, Theo spotted the mantis.

It was already climbing up the beast’s massive, crimson scales, moving as if this were the best decision it could have ever made.

But the sight shook everyone present to the core.