At dawn, the peaceful slumber of the villagers was shattered by a loud, piercing scream. 
The villagers quickly rose from their beds and rushed to the source of the commotion. When they arrived, they found an elderly man named Tino kneeling in front of the chicken coop, holding one of his hens. The hens lay motionless, stiff as if frozen in place. Yato, along with his wife and daughter Elma, joined the crowd, their faces filled with concern.
Tino couldn't hold back his tears as he mourned the loss of his livelihood. His chickens, his source of income, were now lifeless.
Many villagers felt pity for Tino, but there was little they could do except offer words of comfort.
Soon, Elder Gido arrived, accompanied by a man who was supporting him.
"Tino, what happened?" Elder Gido asked.
"I don't know what happened. When I woke up, this is how I found them," Tino replied, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Let me see," Elder Gido said, examining one of the hens. He checked for a pulse and found that the hens were still alive but paralyzed. "Don't worry, they're still alive, but they've been paralyzed," he assured Tino.
"But Elder, all my chicks are gone. Only five are left," Tino cried.
"What's important is that your hens are safe," Elder Gido said firmly. "Stop crying and take care of the ones you have left!"
Tino, still weeping, stood up and began tending to his remaining chickens.
"But, but" He sighed
"Elder, it seems there's a wild beast roaming our village," whispered the man supporting Elder Gido.
"How is that possible? The patrol team always patrols every night. How could a beast roam freely in our village?" Elder Gido was perplexed. "The gates are always closed at night. How could the beast still breach it?"
Turning to face the gathered villagers, he raised his voice, ensuring everyone could hear. "Everyone, I have troubling news. I am not certain yet, but it is possible that a dangerous beast is lurking in our village. Please stay alert and keep your doors locked tonight
Murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire. Parents clutched their children closer, while others exchanged uneasy glances. It had been decades since a wild beast had last attacked their village, and the memory of that tragedy still lingered in the minds of the elders.
"But Elder, how could that be?" a middle age men called out. "The walls are sturdy, and the gates were locked just as they always are!"
Elder Gido sighed, the weight of responsibility pressing heavily upon him. "That is what we must find out," he admitted. "For now, I urge you all to be cautious. If any of you have livestock or pets, ensure they are secured in a safe place. We do not know what we are dealing with yet, and I do not wish for anyone to suffer unnecessary losses."
The tension in the air thickened, but with a wave of his hand, Elder Gido dismissed them. "That is all. You may go now. Stay vigilant, and do not wander alone at night."
One by one, the villagers dispersed their gibberish conversation tinge of fear lingering all over the village.
"Tino, my condolences for what happened," Elder Gido said, patting Tino's shoulder sympathetically.
"Thank you, Elder," Tino said with slow nod, quickly leaving to secure his remaining chickens.
"Elder," a voice called out.
Elder Gido turned to see who had called him.
"How are you, Elder Gido?" Elma asked.
"I'm fine, Elma. How about you?"
"As always"
"Yato, how's your dog? Can it move yet?" Elder Gido asked.
"Thank you, Elder. Half of its body is still paralyzed, but it can eat now," Yato replied.
"That's good to hear."
"Elder, I'm sure it's the same beast that attacked our dog and Tino's chickens," Yato said.
"If that's the case, then there's indeed a wild beast roaming our village." He thought and said
"I'll send out patrols tonight, and you'll be part of it. Divide your group into two teams."
"Yes, Elder. We'll follow your orders," Yato said.
"We'll take our leave now, Elder Gido, I need to prepare."
Elder Gido nodded.
"Take care," The man supporting Elder Gido said.
"Goodbye, Elder Gido, and you too, Uncle Joba."
"Goodbye, Elma," Joba replied.
Yato nodded and left with his family.
"Elder, do we need to ask for help from the casters?"
"Not yet. It might just be an ordinary animal attacking Tino's chickens. We'd only waste money and resources. Assign guards for tonight."
"Yes, Elder," Joba said.
"Good" Elder Gido nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It seems they've noticed," he thought.
Meanwhile, Fang Mu woke up to the screams. He smirked, knowing the villagers had noticed his handiwork. He imagined the expression of the chicken owner—was he crying or wailing in despair?
When Fang Mu stood up, he noticed the shed skin on the ground, which made him even more excited. It meant he was growing. He remembered the three-eyed toad that had died—it was almost the size of a dog. Just imagining himself growing that big made him giddy with excitement.
He noticed changes in his body—his once smooth skin was now rough and covered in thick, protective scales. Two bumps had formed on his chest, where his arms would eventually grow. He looked like a chicken with a tail, and he had grown a bit larger. He was now about the size of a two-year-old child.
"Just thinking about it makes me excited," he thought, imagining what the taste of a full-grown hen would be like. If the chicks were delicious, how much more satisfying would a whole hen be?
"With every change in my body, do I gain new abilities?" he wondered. When he was a tadpole, he discovered his paralyzing venom. When he grew legs, he could walk and jump. Now, after shedding his skin again, he wondered if he had gained a new ability.
He tried experimenting. He jumped and walked, but nothing seemed different. He tried hunting prey to see if he could spit acid, but nothing changed. His prey was still paralyzed by his venom.
"Did I not gain any new abilities?" he thought.
He spent the whole day experimenting but found no changes. He only exhausted himself.
"Forget it. Maybe I'll gain something in my next evolution," he said to himself, panting heavily. His stomach growled, and in his hunger, he failed to notice the approaching danger.
"It's time for dinner—"
He heard a growl behind him. Without looking back, he leaped away, jumping repeatedly as the growling grew louder. Whatever was chasing him was getting closer.
"Dammit," he cursed. He had no choice but to face his pursuer. Using his momentum, he spun around and faced his attacker, flicking his tongue like an arrow toward the beast.
The creature had long claws, a thick coat of fur, a fox-like head, and the body of a bulldog. Its small teeth were bared as it snarled at Raven. Fear gripped him, but he didn't back down. His tongue struck the beast's cheek, and they both tumbled to the ground.
Fang Mu tried to stand, but exhaustion and hunger weakened him. He had a wound on his chest.
The beast stood up, shaking its head as if dizzy. It snarled at Raven.
"Work faster," Fang Mu thought, urging his venom to take effect.
The beast charged at him with incredible speed and bit his shoulder. Fang Mu winced in pain as the beast clawed at his back, but the claws didn't penetrate his thick, armor-like skin.
Fang Mu realized his new ability—his back was now covered in thick, protective scales. He gritted his teeth and flicked his tongue again, striking the beast's shoulder. The beast's front leg stiffened, and it threw Raven aside. Raven tumbled through the air before crashing to the ground.
The beast rolled on the ground, trying to stand, but its front legs gave out as Fang Mu's venom took full effect after a few seconds, it's slumped to ground
Fang Mu breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if he hadn't breathed in a long time. He struggled to his feet and approached the beast.
"You tired me out, you maggot," he said, panting heavily.
The beast stared at him, either too weak to move or fully paralyzed.
Fang Mu sneered. "You won't like it when I'm angry," he said, directing his tongue toward the beast's wounded shoulder. The beast's injury grew even more severe, and with every strike, it let out a pained cry. Raven made the wound bleed even more. He wanted to devour the beast, but it was too large. If only he had sharp teeth, he would have torn into it without hesitation.
Blood dripped from the beast's shoulder to the ground. The beast whimpered in pain but couldn't move. Fang Mu repeatedly struck the wound until it bled profusely.
"Good luck to you," Fang Mu sneered to the beast before limping away.
The beast lay on the ground, drenched in its own blood. It whimpered weakly. Moments later, it heard loud footsteps approaching. It wanted to stand up and run, but it was powerless to do so. Suddenly, the beast let out a loud, echoing cry that sent the birds fleeing in terror. The sound carried far and wide, reaching even the distant village.
"What was that?" Elma asked her father.
Yato narrowed his eyes. "It's nothing," he said, shaking his head. "Continue with what you're doing."
"Yes, Father," Elma obeyed.
At Elder Gido's residence, he grew uneasy upon hearing the roar. He called for Joba. "Have you found guards for tonight?"
"Yes, Elder," Joba replied.
"Good. Be careful tonight."
"Yes, Elder."
Meanwhile, in Fang Mu's temporary hideout, he heard the beast's roar and smirked.
"Serves you right," he thought.