After taking out those five Tauren, Draven didn't feel like he had wasted anything at all.

  The Black Flag Territory was indeed short of manpower now, but there was no way he would go easy on those Tauren. They were unforgivable, and their deaths were well deserved.

  If the Rhinoceros Man leader had been a bit smarter and hadn't been tricked by them, things might have spiraled out of control long ago.

  Even with Serpent Ancestor, the leader-grade snake ancestor, stationed at Village No.1, the losses would have been severe, and the village might have been utterly destroyed.

  "Torvald, huh?" A cold smile curled on Draven's lips.

  "Perfect. I was planning to head to Selene City anyway. Since you're there, let me see what kind of scum you really are."

  After saying that, he swung himself onto his horse. Nightmare Horse's hooves thundered, like a black flame vanishing into the night.

  Alaric stood to the side, watching his werewolf brother-in-law disappear into the distance, radiating killing intent, feeling a pang of regret. He wanted to learn a few more deadly moves—those ruthless techniques that made enemies quake in fear.

  Suddenly, he felt like someone was watching him. Turning around, he found Serpent Ancestor gazing at him with an appreciative look.

  "Do you want to become stronger?"

  ...

  Draven didn't rush to Selene City right away, nor did he hurry to find Viola and the others to deal with the lingering effects of the Killing Spear.

  Now, as a leader-grade high-tier power, his control over his bloodline was far more precise than before. Combined with the manipulation techniques taught by Serpent Ancestor, he could now freely harness the energy stored in the Killing Spear—when to draw it, and how much, all under his command.

  But at this moment, what concerned him more was Sylvia. She was spending less and less time by his side, and he didn't want to waste even a moment more.

  So he turned back to Village No.2 and picked up Sylvia along with the Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent. Nightmare Horse galloped wildly through the night, as if about to take flight.

  Draven shamelessly teased the elven girl sitting in front of him. Her cat-like ears twitched nervously; her face flushed red like a ripe apple, yet she couldn't escape his mischief.

  They chatted and laughed all the way, heading toward Selene City. Despite the speed, the mood remained light and joyful.

  Night fell, and Draven stopped Nightmare Horse in front of a familiar little forest.

  This was where he and Sylvia had their first real meeting.

  The marks on the ground had long since been erased by wind and rain, but Sylvia still recognized the woods. Leaning against Draven, she smiled softly, reminiscing.

  "At that time, I thought you were a bad guy and was so scared I trembled," she said, her eyes shy yet nostalgic."I remember when I saw that holy sword, my heart almost jumped out."

  As she spoke, her gaze toward Draven grew tender and resolute.

  "Do you know, Draven?"

  "You gave me a second chance at life."

  "If I hadn't met you, if I hadn't found that holy sword, I probably would have died long ago."

  She seemed to relive that fear and despair. But suddenly, Draven leaned close to her ear, a wicked grin on his face, interrupting her.

  "Since I saved you, you owe me a life in return, don't you?"

  Sylvia was stunned, not quite understanding what he meant.

  "Give me back a child."

  Her entire face instantly blushed. She obviously knew what he was talking about, but she never expected"returning a life" could be understood that way. Even more shocking was that he actually dared to do that out here in the wild!

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  But strangely, she wasn't angry—rather, a peculiar excitement stirred within her.

  The wind whispered gently through the forest, branches swaying softly. That night's air was especially warm.

  After an unknown amount of time, Sylvia lay on the animal hide, breathing heavily, still flushed. She redressed, glanced at the werewolf leader beside her, eyes both shy and annoyed.

  She was a noble and elegant elven saintess, princess of the Elven Kingdom! She shouldn't, couldn't... yet she couldn't control herself.

  Draven grinned, watching her embarrassed expression, feeling an unprecedented satisfaction.

  After a brief rest, they set off again. Sylvia scolded him along the way, but the tone sounded more like playful teasing.

  Selene City was just ahead. The aftermath of the previous battle seemed to have caused some impact on the city but was far less severe than imagined.

  At night, the city became even livelier. Red lanterns hung along the streets, their faint glow spilled onto the stone pavement, intertwining with the crimson moonlight above, adding mystery and allure to the city.

  Sylvia's cheeks still bore a rosy glow, which the lights and moonlight only enhanced. Though in her cat-person form, the unique elegance and charm of an elf still held Draven's gaze captive.

  He looked at her with burning eyes. Sylvia noticed, and thinking of his earlier demand for"payment," she couldn't help but pinch his waist lightly, then lifted her chin like a proud little cat and happily darted ahead.

  "Hurry up, aren't you supposed to be fast?"

  Draven chuckled and spurred Nightmare Horse to catch up.

  Neither noticed that not far behind, a Tauren stood by the roadside, watching Draven's departing figure with a flicker of hesitation and surprise in his eyes. After a moment of silence, he turned and walked away.

  Draven held Sylvia's hand as they walked toward the stone house where they had first truly met.

  They first settled Nightmare Horse in the open space in front of the door.

  "This place again," Sylvia smiled softly, a hint of nostalgia in her tone as she looked at the stone house before her.

  "You remember?" Draven raised an eyebrow, glancing at her.

  "Of course I remember," she said playfully."It was right here that I met the werewolf leader."

  "Let's go check out the Black Flag Tavern."

  The number of bunny girls working there seemed to have doubled since their last visit. Where there used to be only two greeting customers at the door, now there were four—and all of them quite attractive.

  Draven's mouth twitched, and he muttered quietly,"Four—can you handle that, Rurik?"

  He stepped forward and patted the counter, nodding at Angelica, who was serving customers.

  Angelica immediately put down the bottle she was holding and came over with a smile."Leader, you're back."

  "Just checking in," Draven replied with a smile, scanning the new faces."New recruits?"

  Angelica nodded."They originally worked here at the tavern. Now they're willing to work with us—it's like having sisters of our own."

  "Quite the eye for talent," Draven joked.

  "They're my kin, so they know following me won't be a loss. Our business is booming. I'm even thinking about opening some more branches."

  Draven then asked,"What about Rurik?"

  "He's still busy over at the Succubus Tavern," Angelica rolled her eyes."Half the time spying for intel, half recruiting more people. The addition of the Tauren siblings has really boosted his confidence, and he's gearing up for some big moves."

  Draven nodded, having a pretty good idea of the situation. He left a message:"Tell him to find me tomorrow morning."

  "Got it."

  With that, Draven didn't linger and pulled Sylvia out of the tavern.

  Fortunately, Sylvia wasn't like Liliana, who couldn't resist diving into every lively scene. She wasn't interested in crowded places—especially those filled with alcohol and masculine hormones. For her, the quiet moments with Draven were what truly mattered.

  Since it was late at night and not the right time to seek out Selene, Draven took her for a stroll around the city.

  They passed through the main street and then followed the city moat for a while. The night breeze was light but chilly. Sylvia said nothing, quietly holding his hand as she observed the new buildings lining the streets.

  The district once destroyed in the great battle had been cleared away. The slaves hadn't rested yet—leaning against fire pits as they continued working, sweat gleaming under the firelight.

  Some houses had even been rebuilt into two-story structures, looking sturdier than before.

  Draven glanced down at her and suddenly smiled."Let's go—time to sow the seeds."

  "Can't you be a little more romantic?" Sylvia rolled her eyes but didn't pull away.

  They bantered all the way back to the stone house. The place was clean and tidy, clearly maintained regularly. Draven casually shut the door and turned to her, leaning close to whisper something in her ear.

  Sylvia's expression stiffened instantly. She gave him a hard punch and cursed him as a rogue, but still nodded.

  The next moment, her figure flickered and transformed from a cat-girl into a succubus form, her curves appearing, her aura seductive.

  Draven froze for a moment, then laughed heartily and pinned her down on the animal-hide bed.

  The night was like water, and inside the stone house was a scene of passion and tenderness. The purity of the elf and the allure of the succubus intertwined perfectly in his arms. She had been completely spoiled by him—taking whatever she wanted, never refusing.

  Neither of them wasted this rare time. The closer they grew, the harder it was to part.

  By midnight, Sylvia had shifted back into her cat-girl form, wearing a loose shirt as she sat on the roof. She leaned against Draven, staring off into the distance in a daze.

  "Draven…" she suddenly spoke softly,"I want to see Selene."

  "Now?" he was surprised.

  "Not now—tomorrow morning," she snuggled closer."I've always wanted to meet her. I even sent her some elf grape wine before, but unfortunately she wasn't around—I never got to see her in person."

  Draven finally nodded."Alright, I'll take you there tomorrow."

  "Really?" She was as happy as a child, suddenly wrapping her arms around his neck."You better not back out."

  "As long as you don't transform into a succubus in front of Selene, I won't back out," Draven replied with a smile.

  Sylvia giggled, her beautiful eyes sparkling with mischief—who knew what strange idea was brewing in her mind...