"What the—?" Cious glanced outside the shop, his eyes widening at the shocking scene unfolding in the streets.
Malvorrak was under attack by the lizardmen.
With a quick dash forward, several guards thrust their spears at Malvorrak's side simultaneously. Given the creature's size, it was almost impossible to miss—especially with four guards attacking at once.
—Clang!
But the guards knew nothing of Malvorrak's evolution. With his new Jade Scales Passive skill, his body was as tough as the strongest alloys. As soon as the spears struck, they chipped and snapped against his thick hide.
"Roar!!" Malvorrak spun his massive body, swiping the guards away like mere paperweights, sending them crashing into the surrounding shops.
"Again!!" Qarc commanded the remaining guards to charge at Malvorrak while the first group regrouped.
The beast's strength was legendary, but Qarc had a few tricks up his sleeve.
"Thank the gods I got it just in time! I'll be able to test it on you before those pesky humans arrive." As he watched his men assault Malvorrak one after another, Qarc pulled out a purple whip adorned with intricate inscriptions and designs.
The humans called it the Ironvine Whip—a special tool used to control beasts. Tainted with herbal pheromones and magical inscriptions, this whip granted its user dominion over any creature subjected to its power.
Qarc had ordered it from a group of merchants west of the human tribes. Unlike his mother, he didn't intend to remain under the human tribes' thumb forever. He aimed to break free from their constant extortion and strengthen Yolan Village.
There were plenty of wild beasts with substantial power in the region, and he planned to tame them to bolster his village's strength. Afterward, he would usurp his mother's position as village chief and oppose the human tribes.
This wouldn't be easy, as the beasts he intended to tame were often dangerous and difficult to corner. But who would have thought that one of those beasts would come to the village willingly?
"You are mine, brother-eater!" Qarc tightened his grip on the whip and lashed it forward, aiming for Malvorrak's neck.
—Whiii!
The whip cut through the air and struck Malvorrak's neck with precision.
"Hm?" In an instant, a sharp pain coursed through Malvorrak's body, forcing him to recoil and glare at Qarc with fury.
Whiplash attacks were infuriating. He could still feel the sting of Urgar's tail lashes against his scales. He hated attacks like this.
"Keep him down long enough for me to finish the process!" Qarc commanded his men while continuing to rain down whip lashes around Malvorrak.
"Annoying little pest!" Malvorrak cursed. His jade scales were strong enough to stop any penetrating attacks, but whiplashes were different. They didn't aim to pierce; their sole purpose was to inflict immense pain.
"Roar!!!" After about ten lashes across his back, Malvorrak snapped, surrendering to his primal instincts.
"Chomp!" His jaws opened wide as he clamped down on one of the guards' tails. His teeth dug deep, eliciting a scream of agony before he flung the guard off his horse, ripping the tail off in the process.
"Roarrr!!!" With fury blazing in his eyes, Malvorrak leaped toward the remaining guards, tearing through them like paper, either ripping them apart or inflicting severe injuries.
"Fuck! Why isn't it working?" Qarc watched in horror as his men were slaughtered like livestock. According to the merchants' instructions, ten lashes should have been enough to tame any wild beast as long as they landed properly. But he had struck Malvorrak over twenty times, and the creature was still rampaging.
Was this whip a fake? Had he been ripped off?
Panic flooded Qarc's mind. This was bad—really bad. But he couldn't stop now. He had to keep trying, hoping against hope that he could tame Malvorrak. Running away was not an option.
—Whip!
—Whip!
—Whip!
Soon enough, Malvorrak decimated the guards to the point where the survivors turned tail and fled. Yet Qarc, in his confusion and panic, continued to whip Malvorrak, as if his body had frozen in place.
With each swing, Malvorrak closed in on Qarc, until—
Woom!
With a swipe of his tail, Malvorrak sent Qarc crashing into the signboard of the "I Can Buy Everything" shop. The impact shattered the sign in half and knocked Qarc out cold.
But Malvorrak wasn't satisfied with just incapacitating him; he advanced toward Qarc's fallen body, intent on ending his life.
"Hey, big guy, wait a minute!!" Cious rushed forward, positioning himself between Malvorrak and Qarc.
"Get out of the way!" Malvorrak roared. He had saved Cious once before, but he wouldn't allow him to stand between him and his prey.
"Heyyy, calm down! If you kill him now, how will you ever get your treasure back?" Cious urged, trying to reason with Malvorrak.
Though a wild beast not long ago, Malvorrak's newfound wisdom was still fragile, and he was prone to his primal instincts. He didn't grasp the logic behind Cious's words; all he knew was that Qarc was an enemy who deserved to die.
Thankfully, Cious was more rational. He could strategize and think deeper.
"I…" Malvorrak hesitated, confusion flickering in his eyes. After a moment, he began to understand what Cious was suggesting.
"I have everything I need in this bag right now. Let's leave the village and ransom the boy for your treasures—and much more." Cious broke into a sinister smile.
An opportunity to get richer had presented itself; who was he to turn it away?