Three high-ranking chieftains were present, yet the Tauren warriors still shouted defiantly, completely unaware of how dire the situation had become.

  Was this what they called confidence? Did they truly believe that just because they belonged to a great tribe, they could ignore the threat before them?

  Draven let out a cold chuckle, his face expressionless as he gestured silently to Ragnar."Quiet them down."

  The massive demonic wolf began to move forward. Each step of its heavy paws thudded against the floor, sending low, ominous tremors through the ground.

  Waves of magic rippled off its body, turning the air oppressive and biting.

  Aureon's expression shifted at once. Cold sweat began to form on his brow.

  If it were just Ragnar alone, he might not have backed down.

  But atop the wolf's head was a coiled demon serpent—and that was the real headache.

  "Fall back!"

  Aureon suddenly turned and barked the command to his men.

  Then he turned toward the black-furred werewolf and spoke in a low voice:

  "Tauren are hot-headed by nature. If they were rude, I ask you to overlook their offense."

  Draven could hear the humility in his words, but he also noticed something else:

  Aureon kept one hand hidden behind his back the entire time he spoke.

  This man was nothing like the rumors described.

  He wasn't weak or incompetent at all. His eyes, his posture—even the concealed hand—revealed a cautious readiness.

  Draven's gaze darkened. Rather than being annoyed, he actually grew interested.

  He had originally planned to escalate the situation, to use this opportunity to show the crowd who truly ruled this territory.

  But now, with this intriguing Aureon standing before him, he suddenly felt the urge to see just how capable the Tauren really were.

  Ragnar immediately picked up on his master's thoughts.

  With a snarl, the demonic wolf raised a paw and swung—swift and brutal, the air seemed to rip apart from the force of the blow.

  As the attack descended, Aureon finally revealed his hidden right hand.

  A blinding surge of magic erupted from his palm.

  With a deep rumble, a glowing blue-green barrier formed instantly, enclosing him and his people in a spherical shield.

  Ragnar's massive claw struck the shield hard.

  It trembled violently, light twisting and warping, but—astonishingly—it didn't shatter on impact!

  Draven narrowed his eyes.

  He could see clearly that Aureon wasn't using any magical artifacts or charms.

  This shield was created purely through his own power.

  In other words, he had blocked Ragnar's full-force strike by himself.

  The demonic wolf sensed this as well. Its eyes flashed with irritation—clearly it felt insulted.

  It growled and opened its maw wide, revealing gleaming fangs. With a sudden snap, it lunged at the shield and bit down hard.

  That final bite pushed the shield past its limit.

  The light shattered in an instant.

  But Aureon was prepared.

  In the moment the barrier broke, he led his people into a rapid retreat.

  Ragnar wasn't willing to let them go.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  It swiped its claws again and again, its attacks growing more savage with each strike.

  Aureon kept casting defensive spells, blocking every blow.

  His right hand trembled from the strain, but he remained calm and still refrained from retaliating.

  Draven now watched him with growing interest.

  This Tauren was clearly no ordinary tribal chieftain.

  His defensive technique was flawless, and his control over his magic was incredibly refined.

  More importantly—he held back.

  That kind of composure and restraint was rare.

  Draven's mind stirred.

  Through a mental link, he sent a silent command to the Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent coiled atop Ragnar.

  The serpent tensed.

  With a flash like a black arrow, it shot down from Ragnar's head, streaking straight toward the retreating Aureon.

  A coordinated strike from two high-ranking magical beasts—

  This time, Aureon finally faltered.

  With a shout, he raised another magical barrier just in time to block the serpent's lunge.

  But in the next moment, Ragnar's claw came crashing down, slamming him straight into the wall behind.

  The wall cracked from the impact.

  Aureon slid to the floor along the fracture, coughing up blood.

  He struggled to his feet, but his eyes still held defiance.

  His subordinates, however, weren't so lucky.

  The Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent lashed its body in a wide arc—

  Over a dozen Tauren who hadn't retreated in time were swallowed whole.

  The scene was horrific.

  Only then did Draven rise slowly to his feet.

  He walked over to the collapsed Aureon, his tone calm—almost mocking.

  "Your people were too noisy.

  Now, finally, it's nice and quiet."

  Aureon wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve and gave a bitter smile.

  This black werewolf clearly feared no authority in the city.

  He didn't even care about the lord's rule.

  Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to openly release magical beasts and provoke combat within Selene City itself.

  But his clansmen didn't understand any of this.

  They were too single-minded. They never thought deeply about anything.

  They didn't understand when to endure, and when not to act.

  Perhaps that was the true sorrow of the Tauren race—

  Or even of all beastkin.

  Draven caught the fleeting look of sorrow in Aureon's eyes.

  It wasn't fear—it was resignation.

  This Tauren was different.

  His eyes held a story.

  Draven silently made a deeper mental note of Aureon.

  Leaning against the cracked wall, Aureon forced himself to stand, slowly and painfully.

  He knew he couldn't defeat these black werewolves—

  In fact, even his entire tribe might not be able to withstand them.

  He took a deep breath, expression solemn.

  "The Tauren will give you an explanation."

  "Name your terms.

  As long as we can fulfill them, I'll do everything I can."

  Draven's lips curved into a faint smile. He nodded slightly."That's more like it."

  Just as he was about to speak again, a small figure suddenly dashed toward them.

  Liliana, no longer crying, bouncing and skipping happily across the room.

  Liliana placed her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, her eyes shining with excitement as she eagerly said,

  "Public House, give us the Public House as compensation!"

  Draven smiled and reached out to tidy her messy hair. Liliana grinned proudly.

  This was blatant robbery. Aureon felt the same way deep down—it was outright theft.

  But what could he do? The other side didn't even respect the lord's authority, so naturally they wouldn't fear the Tauren's threats.

  Yet if he really handed over the Public House, how could he explain that to his father and clan?

  Aureon fell silent, his helpless gaze flickering toward the succubus Valeria, who had remained silent all along.

  Valeria finally understood why her master had summoned her. But was this really something she could decide?

  She was only a low-ranking minor leader, and Selene was watching outside.

  Aureon looked at Valeria with a pleading expression. Valeria lowered her head and chose to avoid his gaze.

  Draven chuckled softly at the scene. He walked over to Valeria and gently stroked her cheek."You don't object, do you?"

  His fingers brushed her soft cheek, and his eyes involuntarily fell on her bright red lips.

  Valeria kept her head down, not daring to meet his gaze. If Selene weren't there, perhaps she might have enjoyed her master's intimacy.

  But now, Draven's actions sent a chill down her spine, as if danger could strike at any moment.

  Just as Valeria was pretending nothing was wrong, a cold voice came from behind:

  "Don't even I dare to have an opinion?"

  Draven's hand froze slightly, then withdrew as if nothing had happened. Selene's arrival was expected.

  He smiled and watched Selene enter. This time, Draven only gave a slight bow as a sign of respect.

  Selene raised her eyebrows slightly, seemingly surprised that this werewolf leader had grown bolder than before.

  "Selene, you know Liliana has someone backing her. Now that the Tauren are bullying her, what do you think the person behind her will do?"

  Before Selene could lose her temper, Draven spoke casually, as if making small talk.

  Selene immediately suppressed her anger, recalling the cold snort she made the other day, her eyes sharpening as they fixed on the werewolf.

  "Are you threatening me?"

  Draven rubbed his nose, saying nothing. Meaning: Hadn't he made himself clear enough?

  Selene straightened her chest and her breathing quickened slightly, clearly feeling Draven was challenging her bottom line.

  Draven shrugged, thinking to himself: Bottom line? Sooner or later, I'll be pulling your pants down!

  He had suffered many losses dealing with Selene before, and from today on, he planned to reclaim every bit of it little by little.

  Since Selene's last humiliating escape, a new idea had been growing in Draven's mind. This was just a chance to test the waters— seemingly casual on the surface, but secretly tense inside.

  He gritted his teeth and stepped forward half a step, almost pressing close to Selene. Leaning toward her ear, his voice soft but tinged with threat:

  "Behind her is a demigod."

  After saying this, he deliberately pushed his body forward a bit and for the first time truly felt Selene's chest.

  His heart jolted. Fearing he'd gone too far, he quickly stepped back and returned to Liliana's side.

  At that moment, Selene could no longer care about anything else. Except for that warm, moist sensation near her ear, the word ringing loudest in her mind was: demigod.