About thirty minutes later, news spread through the village that the young master of the Yolan family had fought head-to-head with the wild beast Malvorrak—and lost. Now he had been taken to who-knows-where by the savage creature.
"Shit!!" Zysera slammed her fist against the table in front of her, crumpling a piece of paper in her grip. Her son Qarc had been kidnapped and was being ransomed. This alone was infuriating, but nothing angered her more than the thought of who was behind it all.
'That dumb monster Malvorrak? Who would have imagined that the wild beast, known only for violence, could devise a plan to kidnap the Young Master of the village?'
It was utterly embarrassing.
"Chief, all the guards are prepared outside, awaiting your command. Please, let us handle this wild beast!" The head guard of the Yolan family knelt, trembling with anger. He had been the one to allow Malvorrak into the village, and now that same creature had kidnapped their young master.
It was all his fault.
"No, you can't! If you go, they'll kill Qarc!" Zysera sighed, exasperation evident in her expression. This was the ultimate act of antagonism. Malvorrak's letter contained clear instructions regarding what to do—and what not to do—to ensure Qarc's survival:
1. Bring the treasure from the village vault, or we'll kill the brat.
2. We don't want a fight, so come alone, or we'll kill the brat.
3. Last but not least, no funny business, or guess what? We'll kill the brat.
She had to go alone, without her men, and hand over all the treasure in the vault. The thought of burying her own child was unbearable, even if he could be infuriating at times.
"Sigh…" Zysera let out a deep breath before walking to her room. She opened the door and knelt beside a large box. As she lifted the lid, a magnificent blue glow filled the room.
A few minutes later—
—Greeee!
Her lizard steed emerged from the Yolan village, pulling a wagon behind it.
"Shit!!" The head guard cursed, clenching his fists. He had never felt so helpless. They had to stay behind while their chief faced a monster alone, and it was all his fault.
…
"This looks really nice." At the entrance of Malvorrak's cave, Cious held the purple whip, examining it intently. From its appearance, he could tell it was special; it bore the 'Submit' inscription—at least a watered-down version of it.
In his previous life, Cious had formulated that inscription based on his innate skill, 'Primal Edict.' He had no idea how it ended up here.
—Whip!!
Flicking it forward, a painful sound reverberated in the air. The four goblins nearby shuddered in response.
"Awesome!!" Cious grinned, exhilarated. Weapons weren't really his forte, but this one felt right.
"Hm?" As he smiled at his newly 'liberated' weapon, a tremor overhead caught his attention.
Malvorrak was descending from atop the mountain, which could only mean one thing: Zysera was close.
A few minutes later, a lizard woman rode up the slope toward Malvorrak's cave. She had pitch-black scaly skin, pearly eyes, and black leather clothing.
"Are you sure about this?" As she rode up the mountain with hatred in her eyes, Cious directed a serious question at Malvorrak.
Zysera was no mere beast driven by territorial instincts. From what Cious had learned, she was a seasoned and experienced monster hunter.
Yes, when she had faced Urgar and Malvorrak, she had been on a monster-hunting expedition, targeting them as level-three greater beasts. The only reason she hadn't killed either was that they hadn't been her primary targets. If she encountered Urgar again, she could easily take him down.
"Hmm…" Malvorrak glared at Zysera as she dismounted her steed and approached them.
"Everything is in the wagon. Where is Qarc?" Zysera demanded, looking directly at Malvorrak. But he remained silent, seemingly indifferent to the ransom; his focus lay elsewhere.
"Don't worry about your brat. He will be released soon," Cious interjected from behind, revealing what Zysera needed to know.
This revelation confused her momentarily. Who was this little lizard? She thought, before recalling what the head guard had said.
At the time of Malvorrak's entry into the village, the head guard had believed he was under the control of a small white lizard creature.
It appeared they had teamed up from the beginning.
"What happens if I kill him?" Zysera asked Cious, glancing at Malvorrak, who was slowly adopting a fighting stance. Clearly, this was more about ego than greed; Malvorrak wanted revenge on her for humiliating him long ago.
"If you can kill him, you can take both the treasure and the boy. I have little need for either," Cious replied seriously. As much as he loved money, he understood that Malvorrak was deadly serious about this.
His most precious belongings had been taken from him, and Qarc was too weak to satisfy his thirst for retribution. Someone had to pay for Qarc's crimes, and that someone would be her.
"Good!!" Zysera unsheathed a long sword, magnificently crafted, with inscriptions covering its surface—evidence of powerful enchantments. It was a blade of exceptional quality.
This weapon had slain many beasts and would feast on wild beast blood once again.
"Grrrr…" Malvorrak did not back down, his claws extended, and his teeth glinting menacingly.