When Arthur stepped out of his lord's house with Aerius following closely behind, he noticed the soldiers were still resting. Not wanting to disturb them, he quietly made his way toward George and Lily.
The moment George and Lily saw him approaching, they immediately stopped what they were doing and stood straight, saluting him with respect.
"My lord, is there any problem?" they asked in unison.
But their eyes quickly shifted to the adorable creature behind Arthur—a cat-like being with soft white fur, eagle-like wings, and a lion's tail. They were clearly surprised by its presence.
Lily's eyes lit up with joy, and her expression softened instantly. She could barely contain her excitement as she stared at the winged feline.
"There's no problem," Arthur replied with a small smile. "I'm just taking Aerius for a stroll around the territory."
"Aerius?" they both repeated.
"My lord, may I…" Lily paused, flustered. "I mean, could I take Aerius for a walk around the territory instead?"
Arthur chuckled at her eagerness. Her hands were already twitching, itching to hold the little creature.
"Yes, you can, Lily. And if you want, you can start teaching him a few things."
He gently lifted Aerius from his arms and handed him over.
Lily took the creature as if she were cradling a fragile gem. The moment she got a hold of him, she furiously began patting his fur. Aerius froze in her arms, his big curious eyes darting toward Arthur, silently pleading for help.
But Arthur only smiled in amusement and watched as the little guy was carried away by Lily.
…
Fifty kilometers west of Arthur's territory, in a large mansion nestled at the heart of a monstrous city.
A towering ogre sat on the main throne-like seat of the hall, his powerful aura so intense that even the other ogres and goblins kneeling before him dared not raise their heads.
This was no ordinary monster. This was Khali—the city lord, the boss monster of the region. His mere presence was suffocating.
"So… you're saying all twelve of our mini monster gathering areas were eradicated in just two days?" Khali's voice was calm, yet there was a chilling edge to it.
Despite the lack of rage in his tone, the entire hall shuddered in fear. None of the monsters present could meet his gaze.
"Yes, my lord," one trembling goblin managed to speak. "Humans were summoned two days ago. The one responsible is one of them… a new lord."
Khali's crimson eyes narrowed.
"A new human lord… one summoned by the world itself."
He stood slowly, yet no one dared to move. Then, in the blink of an eye, his massive figure vanished from the throne and reappeared in front of the one who had spoken.
It wasn't teleportation—it was pure speed. Too fast for anyone in the room to react.
Before anyone could even process what had happened, Khali gripped the goblin's head and crushed it without hesitation. Blood splattered across the marble floor as the corpse collapsed, lifeless.
The rest of the hall fell into dead silence. Fear gripped every heart.
"My lord, please… don't be angry," another voice called out, this one steadier than the rest.
A tall, muscular goblin with black armor stepped forward. His name was Kazu, a Platinum Rank Tier-8 commander and one of Khali's most trusted.
"There's a large monster gathering area just north of the human lord's territory. I'll personally lead the attack and destroy him."
Khali looked at him and gave a slow nod.
"Very well. Go and inform the northern gathering. Tell them I have ordered the human lord's death. You will take command."
Khali paused, then added, "Do you require additional soldiers for this task?"
Kazu shook his head.
"There's no need, my lord. That human was summoned only two days ago. He couldn't have developed his territory much in such a short time."
Khali smirked, his sharp teeth showing beneath his lips.
"Good. Then within two days, I want his head presented before me."
"Yes, my lord. I will make sure his blood stains our gates."