Ou Ran's heart suddenly cooled. The Milos beetle spread its shining wings and flew into the sky to form a dark cloud of black oppression.

There was a bang on the roof of the caravan, and Ou Ran subconsciously shrunk his neck. More of the same sound came from the roof of the shed, and the wooden wagons creaked under the weight of the giant insects.

"Hold on!" his mom shouted ahead, then made an emergency left turn. The beetle was thrown off the roof, but Ou Ran heard a screeching scrape, and he knew that more beetles had landed on the car.

Daao broke through the beams of the roof of the shed, and a huge beetle broke into the caravan. Jama draws her dagger and stabs it at it, but her dagger can't penetrate its hard shell. She pushed Ou Ran behind her, dangling her dagger in front of her, desperately trying to force it back.

More Milos beetles fell from the roof of the shed, all biting and waving their jaws. Ou Ran ducked under the bed, desperately kicking away the beetle's claws. He pulled the round wooden carving out of his pocket.

"Please, Ramos. I pray to you," he whispered. "Help us!"

More and more beetles landed on the roof of the shed, and the caravan shook and bumped, shaking violently like a boat in a stormy sea. Then the whole world overturned to the side, and the caravan was completely overturned, sliding feebly through the sand.

Ou Ran covered his face, and the falling objects and dust obscured his vision. He was thrown against the wall, his ears roaring and his head throbbing. Shortly after everything had come to a standstill, he felt a hand grab his arm and his mom dragged him out of the debris. The strong sunlight kept him open.

The family huddled together in the wreckage of the caravan, coughing incessantly in the dust. The Milos beetle swirled, and one of the beetles sprinted forward, and Ouran's mother stabbed into the weak spot between its jaws. She then impaled another beetle that was trying to bite her daughter, and their foul-smelling yellow pulp spilled onto the sand. A third beetle jumped behind them from the roof of the caravan. Jama screamed, and her foot was clamped by the beetle's big claw.

The swarm froze suddenly, and stopped attacking. They lay on their stomachs close to the ground, their tentacles curling. In the silence, Ou Ran heard the sound of a whirlwind in the distance. He looked to the western horizon as a puff of sand and dust sped in their direction. The family wields weapons and prepares to face this new threat.

A round, armor-clad figure emerged from the dust, crushing the nearest beetle to pieces with terrifying force.

The figure continued to roll, dashing left and right, crushing the swarm. Although the beetles attacked the figure with pincers, they were like mantis arms, and after a while, none of the Milos beetles survived.

As the dust settled, Ou Ran looked at the circular figure in front of him, and he caught a glimpse of the spiked armor bursting out.

"Could it be...?" Jama said.

"Ramos!" shouted Ou Ran. He climbed down the dunes to meet his hero.

Ramos' carapace was covered with intricate patterns and spiraling scales, and his claws were as sharp as knives. He slowly chewed on a hairy beetle's thigh, juice pouring out of his mouth.

Ou Ran and Jiama looked at him in surprise.

Their mother approached the armored dragon turtle and bowed deeply.

"You saved us," she said. "We are grateful. ”

Ramos continued to eat the beetle's thighs as the family watched. A few minutes passed.

He rolled over to the wreckage of the caravan, rummaged through the rubble, and picked up the wood carving of the armored dragon turtle made by Ou Ran. The image is not perfect, but it is recognizable.

"That's you. Ou Ran said. "Please take it. ”

Ramos half-knelt down and bit hard, breaking the wood carving in half. He turned and walked a few steps, then threw two pieces of wood into the sand. Jama burst out laughing.

"Hmm. Ramos said.

He ripped another thigh from the carcass of another beetle, then dragged it slowly rolling away.

The family watched in amazement as he disappeared into the horizon.

Ou Ran ran in the direction Ramos had disappeared, picked up the pieces of the wood carving, put them in his pocket, and bowed into the distance.

"For good luck. He said.

short story

Butcher of the Desert

Renekton

Butcher of the Desert

Renekton

Renekton is a terrifying-looking, savagely furious ascendant from the scorching desert of Shurima. He was once the most revered warrior of the Empire, leading Shurima's army to numerous victories. However, after the fall of the Empire, Renekton was trapped under the desert, and slowly, as the world changed, Renekton lost his mind. Now he is free, but he is consumed by an obsession: to find and kill his brother, Nasus, because in his madness, he is convinced that Nasus is the culprit who has caused him to endure centuries of darkness.

Renekton is a natural warrior. From childhood, he was constantly involved in vicious fights. He is fearless and always able to hold his dignity in front of other older children. The cause of these conflicts is often dignity, because Renekton has never learned to swallow his anger, let alone let go of any slander. Every evening, he would come home with new wounds and blood marks, and although his older brother Nasus, who was more fond of dancing and writing, did not approve of him fighting, Renekton enjoyed it.

Soon after, Nasus moved away, and he was chosen to join the elite scholars of the Sun Academy, never to be seen again for the next few years. The brawl in Renekton gets worse. On one occasion, Nasus rarely came home, only to see his brother enter the house covered in blood, apparently experiencing another street fight. Fearing that Renekton's violent nature would lead him to prison or an untimely death, Nasus helped him enlist in Shurima's army. Officially, Renekton was not yet old enough to serve in the military, but his brother's influence kept that little bit in the way.

The discipline and system of the army was a blessing to Renekton. A few years later, he was promoted to become the most feared and formidable squad leader in Shurima's army. He fought at the forefront of many wars of imperial expansion and conquest, and was not only known for his ferocity and tenacity, but also for his honor and courage. At the same time, Nasus became a highly accomplished general, and the two brothers fought together in many battles, and although they were very different in nature and often disagreed, they remained close to each other. Nasus's skills lie in tactics, logistics, and history, while Reekton's skills lie in the combat itself. Nasus plans for the war, while Renekton charges to win the war.