"Who?"


    "Who goes there?"


    In the heart of ta in, Audrey''s gaze darkened as she shouted to the sky.


    In an instant, she transformed into a six-winged giant bird and soared into the air.


    Yet, upon reaching the sky, she found nothing. Instead, the sensation of being watched intensified.


    Damn it!


    Audrey cursed inwardly.


    A swirling mist of vibrant colors enveloped her form as she circled a specific area. As the colorful mist descended, it shrouded the region, finally severing that unsettling feeling of being observed.


    Audreynded gracefully.


    Then, she morphed back into her human form and nced at the slumbering beastfolk offspring nestled within the eggshell, before issuingmands to the other beastfolk and supernatural beings: "Quickly, hasten your pace!"


    Around the eggshelly a carpet of bleached bones.


    These bones, numbering in the hundreds, all belonged to humans.


    ...


    In the Crimson Star Tribe''s camp, within the Potion Hut,


    Mina regained her usual calm demeanor and asked Enzo, "What did you see?"


    Enzo replied, "A peculiar giant bird."


    "What made it peculiar?" Mina pressed, hisgaze shifting in that direction.


    Enzo continued to describe, "The colossal bird is adorned with vibrant plumage, and it boasts three pairs of wings sprouting from its back. Upon its head, distinct fiery crimson patterns are visible."


    Upon hearing Enzo''s description, Mina''s expression shifted.


    He slowly uttered a few words, "The Six-Winged Colorful Phoenix!"


    Enzo, intrigued, inquired, "What is that?"


    Mina feltpelled to borate once more, stating, "In the ssification of supernatural beings, there are divisions such as giants, titans, ancient, legendary, and mythical. The Six-Winged Colorful Phoenix, at the very least, possesses an ancient lineage, and upon reaching maturity, it is ssified as a legendary supernatural entity, extraordinarily powerful, capable of preying upon dragons."


    "What you witnessed was likely only an ancient variant, not yet fully matured."


    "Otherwise, with the capabilities of a Six-Winged Colorful Phoenix, it would have already soared into the camp."


    Upon hearing this, Enzo was taken aback.


    He had not anticipated that the bizarre giant bird held such significant lineage, prompting thoughts of Betta and Arceus.


    Those two were currently in slumber.


    Even amidst the grandmotion of the Ring of the World Ritual, neither Betta nor Arceus had stirred. Moreover, under Enzo''s control, a portion of their power was infused into the vast forms of Betta and Arceus.


    At this moment, utilizing his supernatural awareness, Enzo sensed remarkable changes urring within Betta and Arceus.


    He had a foreboding intuition that once they awakened, their supernatural bloodlines could very well ascend, potentially rivaling the recently sensed Six-Winged Colorful Phoenix.


    However, now was not the time for such contemtion.


    After exchanging a few more idle remarks with Mina, Enzo departed from the Potion Hut.


    Rather than returning to his quarters, he made his way to the ritual square, ultimately halting before the Tower of Sacrifice.


    ...


    ta in.


    As the torrential rain subsided, numerous weeds in ta in sprouted fresh shoots, and the air was imbued with an invigorating freshness. This should have been a splendid day, yet it was marred by the piercing cries of despair.


    Several gigantic supernatural creatures rampaged through, storming into the encampment of the ta in tribe. Their mere charge inflicted grievous casualties, and the most disheartening fact was that these supernatural beings possessed a cunning ability to coordinate, deliberately luring the tribe''s warriors and totem warriors into the open beforeunching surprise attacks.


    The totem warriors met their demise as a result.


    Such tragedies unfolded in every corner of ta in.


    Consequently, numerous tribes within ta in began their desperate flight, abandoning even their Giant Bone Wolves and other mounts, for under the oppressive presence of the supernatural creatures, these lesser beings could easily betray them.


    On the fringes of the jungle, Raham and hispanions gazed at the fleeing members of the tatribe.


    At that moment, someone inquired, "Lord Neville, shall we allow them to enter the jungle?"


    Neville, having observed the fleeing individuals, shook his head and replied, "Pay them no mind. If they wish to enter the jungle, let them. Our task is to prevent those supernatural beings from flooding into the jungle. At this rate, by tomorrow, ta in may be devoid of life, and those supernatural creatures may very well choose to encroach upon the jungle."


    A somber mood enveloped the group.


    Many present had no experience battling supernatural beings.


    Neville understood this all too well, yet he harbored little concern. Instead, he smiled and reassured them, "There is no need for undue worry. Even if an overwhelmingly powerful supernatural creature emerges, we have Lord Enzo. As long as Lord Enzostands with us, the Crimson Star Tribe shall remain invincible!"


    His words served as a profound source of encouragement for all.


    They diligently set traps on the fringes, while others honed their skills, inspecting their weapons and armor.


    As for Raham, he familiarized himself with the fireball technique hemanded.


    Meanwhile, he conferred with the other members of the adventurer squad about strategies to confront supernatural creatures.


    Raham''s adventurer squad consisted of ten members, but only five were present at the moment. Some, like Raham''s pregnant wife, Emily, were unable to attend, while others had pressing matters to attend to or simplyckedbat proficiency...Among them was the squad leader, Lundh, who wielded supernatural powers, enabling him to temporarily amplify his strength fivefold.


    Once gathered, Lundh addressed the group: "Raham, your fireball will serve as a crucial source of offensive power for our team."


    Raham nodded, feeling the weight of this responsibility.


    Lundh continued, "Do not be overly anxious. From what I have learned, while supernatural beings possess intelligence, it is not particrly high. Even if they wield supernatural powers, they cannot alter their beastly nature. A slight provocation will send them spiraling into a frenzy, and a frenzied beast is far easier to contend with."


    This did little to alleviate the tension among Raham and the others.


    While it sounded manageable, the reality was fraught with peril.


    Nevertheless, Lundh''s words piqued everyone''s interest. Another member of the adventurer squad inquired, "Captain, how did youe to know so much?"


    Lundh smiled with pride and replied, "I was once a member of the Gene tribe."


    "The Gene tribe!"


    The group eximed in astonishment.


    In the present-day Crimson Star Tribe, the names of other tribes in the jungle had nearly faded into obscurity. Many had entirely embraced their identities as members of the Crimson Star Tribe.The Gene tribe is one of the few that still garners mention, not for its former prowess, but rather due to the illustrious Gene Adventurer Squad.


    This squad is currently recognized as the most formidable among all adventurer Squads.


    Reports from various sources indicate that the Gene squad has sessfully hunted at least twenty supernatural creatures, and several of its members are not your typical supernatural strongholds.


    Consequently, many harbor great admiration for the Gene Adventurer Squad.


    However, during the recent mission concerning the supernatural entities of ta in, the Gene squad was conspicuously absent, seemingly having traversed the Rivaille Forest to venture into even more distant territories.


    Whispers circte that they may have departed from the Barren Mountain region.


    Yet the truth remains elusive to all—save for Enzo.


    ...


    In the ritual square, Enzo stood beneath the Tower of Sacrifice, extending his hand as a concentrated sphere of energy materialized into a fireball, floating effortlessly above his palm. Had Raham been present, he would undoubtedly recognize the fireball as identical to the one he himself had conjured.


    In fact, they were indeed one and the same.


    "Within the realm of the Ring of the World Ritual, as long as a n member acquires supernatural strength, I can analyze and replicate that power through Ritual. Moreover, I can encapste this strength, akin to crafting a Scroll. Furthermore, such abilities can be learned and harnessed by other n members…"


    Enzo mused to himself.


    He then summoned the totem of the Ring of the World, upon which appeared a delicate me pattern, signifying his recent mastery of the fireball technique.


    Meanwhile, numerous nk spaces remained on the totem.


    This revtion sparked rity within Enzo regarding his future endeavors, as he contemted, "Next, I shall cultivate the tribe while simultaneously increasing the number of supernatural individuals, thereby acquiring even greater supernatural abilities.The more supernatural abilities one acquires, the greater the supernatural knowledge derived from the Ring of the World Ritual. With sufficient knowledge, one could even discover paths to the supernatural beyond the totems. This, indeed, will be the key to the tribe''s ascendance!"


    As Enzo contemted future ns, the ta in underwent yet another transformation.


    The indigenous people fled in droves, and the number of humans hunted by supernatural beings dwindled, inciting great fury in Audrey. Yet, recognizing her reliance on these supernatural creatures, she quelled her anger and barked, "Since the people of ta in have all fled, venture into the jungle, into Qaidam Lake, and to even more distantnds! Capture everyst one of those wretched humans!"


    Upon hearing hermand, the supernatural beings departed once more.


    Audrey''s gaze turned to the beastfolk cub nestled within its shell, her expression cold and devoid of reverence, yetcking any intent to kill. It seemed this extraordinary beastfolk cub was inconsequential in her eyes. No one could fathom her thoughts at that moment.


    However, one thing was certain—Audrey harbored an intense loathing for humanity.


    With her orders given, the assembled supernatural beingsmenced their incursion into the surrounding areas of ta in. They charged across the grasnds, their mouths agape with hunger.


    Just as they were about to breach the jungle—


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    A volley of spears flew forth, striking one of the supernatural creatures, which howled in agony, its eyes turning a deep crimson before it surged forward in a frenzied charge.


    Thus, the battlemenced.