It turned out that not all demi-humans would yield as easily as Sardon had thought. At least Elira of the Leopard Tribe was not one of them.

  When Gregor and his group arrived, the Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent finally spat out the unconscious Thalia.

  When the green serpent spear pressed against Thalia's neck, a flicker of hesitation finally appeared on Elira's face.

  But even so, she did not bow her head. She did not immediately surrender, nor did she submit to the overwhelming enemy.

  She leapt down from the village wall, landing steadily on the open ground outside the village. Her gaze was like a beast crushed by the night—full of despair, yet still shining with the light of defiance.

  She lifted her head and stared directly at the werewolf leader Draven. She knew full well that all hope was lost—her people, her tribe, even herself, all were trapped in the enemy's palm.

  But she still stood her ground. Even if it meant just one more second of freedom, she refused to be taken without a fight.

  Draven looked at her and gave a soft chuckle, a hint of admiration in his smile. This was what a demi-human should be like.

  Green Serpent and Sardon watched the Leopard Tribe leader with complex expressions.

  They understood Elira's stubbornness and admired her courage. But if it were them, they probably would have given up long ago.

  Draven accepted her challenge. The two set a simple agreement: if Elira won, he would release the prisoners, withdraw his troops, and never again infringe on the Leopard Tribe's lands.

  If she lost, there would be no more discussion—the Leopard Tribe would surrender unconditionally.

  The terms were straightforward and even seemed rash, but Elira felt a slight relief. She was no stranger to the cruelty of war, nor unaware of Draven's reputation.

  It was just that this werewolf looked too young, and she did not believe he could outmatch her decades of combat experience.

  Inwardly, she smirked: so young, thinking a bit of fame would be enough to scare people?

  But just as she was preparing to fight, a streak of blood-red light tore through the night—an enormous demonic wolf roared and appeared before Draven.

  Ragnar stood beside Draven, exuding an overwhelming pressure, like a mountain blocking the way."Using a companion beast is not against the rules for werewolves, right?"

  Elira's expression darkened instantly. There were hardly any rules in combat between demi-humans—companion beasts, contract beasts, even divine powers within the tribe, as long as they could be controlled, they could be used.

  But she already felt her hope drain away. Facing just one Draven, she still had some confidence. Adding Ragnar into the mix, she saw no chance of victory.

  Yet she stayed put, not taking a single step back. She was the leader of the Leopard Tribe; even knowing defeat was inevitable, she could never flee the battlefield.

  She drew her longbow and was about to strike, but Draven vaulted onto Ragnar's back. More precisely, he directly mounted the beast.

  Riding a demonic wolf?

  Yes. He was not fighting alongside Ragnar but merging with it. In the next moment, man and wolf fused, their body suddenly swelling—before everyone stood the massive dark demonic wolf, as large as a house.

  Black flames slowly burned along its body, silent yet forcing people to instinctively step back. The wolf raised its enormous front paw, gently placing it on the ground.

  A dull thud reverberated; the earth trembled slightly. Elira wobbled but clenched her teeth and forced herself not to fall.

  She knew the fight was over.

  She looked into the blood-red eyes of the demonic wolf, her longbow slipping from her hands, hanging at her side.

  "I surrender."

  Her voice was low but crystal clear.

  There was no cowardice in her eyes—only a sober acknowledgment of reality. The enemy was too strong, overwhelmingly so, with no chance left for her.

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  The wolf's size, the mysterious black flames, Draven's aura—this was the oppressive force of a leader at their peak, suffocating.

  A deathly silence surrounded them; aside from the heavy breathing of the dark demonic wolf, there was no other sound.

  Liliana, sitting atop a demonic bull, widened her eyes, full of excitement and admiration."So cool!"

  Bran and Titus also showed expressions of respect.

  Only Sardon's face darkened. He muttered bitterly in his heart: If you had this strength earlier, why did you have to make things so complicated? Over three hundred of our people died for nothing.

  In the silence, the troops behind finally erupted into a deafening cheer.

  At that moment, the bound Thalia slowly woke. The instant she opened her eyes, she saw the demonic wolf separate from Draven.

  The gigantic beast disappeared, leaving Draven alone, riding Ragnar's back, his silhouette especially cold under the moonlight.

  The Leopard Tribe leader finally completely lowered her weapon. She knelt on one knee, bowing her head deeply. The bloodline power flowed within her body, and a mark of submission slowly appeared on her forehead.

  Draven slowly raised his right hand, black energy flickering at his fingertips like flames dancing in the dark.

  He knew that with just a slight movement, Elira's fate would be completely rewritten. Her bloodline, her soul, would be under his control—unable to break free for five generations.

  But precisely because of this overwhelming suppression, he hesitated.

  He could see that Elira was no ordinary leader. Her resilience, her pride, even the stubbornness with which she refused to bow in despair—all these stirred a measure of respect within him.

  Recalling the earlier scene, when Thalia was spit out by the King Serpent, those long, straight legs flickered past, even reminding him of Martha. It was a completely different kind of allure—wild and full of life.

  Draven gave a slight smile, and the energy at his fingertips gradually faded away. He withdrew his hand, stepped forward, and reached out to help the kneeling Elira up.

  "Maybe we can try a different approach," he said, his tone light and teasing.

  His hand rested on Elira's bare arm, palm warm and unapologetically direct.

  Elira felt a strange electric shock ripple through her and an unnatural blush spread across her cheeks.

  She wasn't a young girl, but she had never been approached so closely in such a situation. Instinctively, she opened her mouth and spoke a sentence that instantly froze the air:

  "I can still have children."

  Draven's eyelid twitched, and he almost bit his own tongue.

  The words"mother and daughter" hammered at his mind like a sledgehammer. He reflexively glanced sideways; luckily, Liliana hadn't heard.

  If Liliana found out, she'd definitely lecture him again, and who knew what rumors would spread.

  "No, you misunderstood…" he quickly withdrew his hand, stepped back, and hurriedly explained,"I truly admire you. From the bottom of my heart. It has nothing to do with anything else."

  He spoke seriously, though a bit flustered. After all, with her mentioning fertility, he couldn't very well say he was interested in her daughter.

  Straightening his expression, he said solemnly,"If the Leopard Tribe wishes to join the Black Flag Territory, you have my full welcome. But you don't need to bear the mark of submission—I trust you."

  After speaking, he discreetly wiped the sweat from his forehead and gestured to Green Serpent to untie Thalia, who was now awake.

  Green Serpent stepped forward and loosened the constricting python sinews. Before he could step back, Thalia ran to her mother's side, standing protectively in front of her.

  She looked up at Draven with eyes full of caution, like a predator ready to pounce at any moment.

  Draven blinked and muttered softly,"She really is a little leopard."

  He looked at Elira and said,"Open the gates. From now on, you're one of us."

  This outcome was undoubtedly the best result for Elira. No mark binding her, yet the tribe maintained its independence.

  Though the process was awkward and nearly caused a misunderstanding, at least everyone understood each other's boundaries.

  However, Elira noticed Draven's gaze kept unconsciously drifting toward his daughter, Thalia. Though he concealed it well, as a mother, she clearly saw it.

  Her expression subtly shifted, from initial wariness to a slight relaxation and a faint, subtle smile.

  Among demi-humans, a mother and daughter both serving together was no shame.

  Now that the Leopard Tribe had submitted, if a closer relationship could solidify the bond between them, she wouldn't oppose it.

  She quietly calculated that since Draven secretly had his eyes on Thalia, she might as well guide the situation to her advantage.

  Once the Leopard Tribe leader submitted, the rest of the tribe would naturally have no choice but to obey.

  Draven ordered the Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent to spit out the Leopard Tribe members it had swallowed.

  Seeing her people returned safe and sound, a flash of joy lit in Thalia's eyes. When she looked back at Draven, her gaze was no longer as cold as before.

  Her caution slowly faded, replaced by a near-curious look. The young Black Wolf had overwhelming power, even making her strong-willed mother surrender.

  Demi-humans admired the strong, and she was no exception. Whether by intuition or fate, mother and daughter actually reached a consensus on this point.

  However, Thalia had no intention of including her mother in her plans. She stared intently at Draven, her eyes layered with complex meaning.

  Feeling Thalia's gaze, Draven's heart stirred slightly. He cleared his throat and, accompanied by his men, entered the Leopard Tribe's village.

  Unlike the cave-like lifestyle of the Hyena Man, the Leopard people's village was orderly. The stone walls enclosed sturdy stone houses that could hold three to four hundred tribe members. It was clean and neat, filled with the tribe's traditional atmosphere.

  Draven's troops were stationed in the central square. He left Green Serpent and Sardon to maintain order and personally led the core members into the main hall.

  Elira voluntarily relinquished her position as chief, and Draven took the seat boldly, without any courtesy.

  He waved his hand, signaling everyone to take their seats. Elira and Thalia knelt on one knee, solemnly reaffirming the Leopard Tribe's submission.

  Draven laughed heartily and waved them off,"Stand up. From now on, we're family. No need for such formalities."