At the front of the mob stood a Boar Alpha, a beast of a man nearly as tall as Caspian but twice as wide. He came to a halt, refusing to bow, as the moonlight glinted off the two massive tusks that shot up from both ends of his lower jaw, right from inside his mouth.

His face was a coarse, ugly distortion of a human’s, with a snout-like nose and thick, bristly hair that grew down his neck and over his shoulders like a dark mane. His skin was a mottled, leathery grey, but his eyes—bloodshot and small—held a distinctly human malice.

Behind him, there were a few more beastmen like him, big, gruff, and holding clubs. And then at the extreme back were dozens of smaller, thinner Boars huddled.

These beastmen looked more human, their tusks mere stubs and their frames frail, their eyes wide with terror as they gripped the handles of heavy tribute crates. They were likely the ’weak’ the system wanted her to protect.

"Caspian!" the Alpha roared, his voice like a deep, rough rumble. "We are tired of burning! We are tired of the tribute!" He spat on the dirt, his small eyes gleaming with a borrowed confidence. "Your own brother says the Fire King has grown soft for a hairless female! He says you spend your days moving rocks for her like a common servant! You are now weak. So, we have come to take the mountain!"

Caspian’s head snapped toward the shadows of the lower tunnels where Vane had disappeared earlier. A low, dangerous hiss escaped his teeth. "Vane..."

Raiden crept up beside Hana, his ears flat against his head, and his eyes narrowed as he scanned the tree line. "It seems that dragon brother of yours has a big mouth, Hana. He wanted to see if the Boars could do the job since he’s too cowardly to do it himself."

Hana looked at the terrified laborers in the back, then at the arrogant Alpha in the front. She didn’t look at Caspian. She knew he was seconds away from turning the entire plateau into a furnace.

"Caspian, don’t use your fire," Hana said quietly.

"What?" Caspian huffed, his throat glowing a dangerous, pulsing orange. "They insult me, and they insult you! They threaten our home! My brother dares to—"

"I didn’t say don’t fight," Hana clarified, her eyes locked on the Alpha. "I only said don’t use the fire. You’ll kill the ones who don’t want to be here, and I need them alive."

She stepped forward, the moonlight hitting her new silver dress and making it glow like a beacon against the dark obsidian of the cave. The Boar Alpha paused, squinting at the small, shimmering figure standing fearlessly in front of the Dragon King.

"You," Hana called out, her voice amplified by the cave walls. "The one with the big tusks. You think he’s soft because of me?"

She twirled the flint knife in her hand, the rocky blade catching the light. A cold, predatory smile spread across her face—the look of a woman who had seen the world end and wasn’t impressed.

"Step forward and find out. If you win, you get the mountain. If I win... I get your tusks for my collection."

"Hana!" Caspain gasped, and even Raiden was stunned.

The Alpha let out a wet snort, his human-like hands tightening around a massive stone-headed club.

"A human thinks she can talk for a Dragon? I will crush your skull and use that silver skin for a flag!"

Without waiting for the battle lines to be drawn, he charged, the ground shaking under his massive weight.

> [MISSION START: THE SOVEREIGN’S SHIELD]

> Objective: Subdue the Alpha.

> Constraint: Zero civilian casualties.

"Raiden," Hana snapped, never taking her eyes off the charging beast. "Get the laborers behind him out of the way. If a single one of them gets trampled, I’m holding you responsible."

"On it, Great Female!" Raiden’s pink tails blurred into motion as he dashed toward the rear of the Boar line.

He didn’t know why he needed them safe, but he would do his task better than the dragon.

Hana ducked under the Alpha’s first wild swing, the wind of the heavy club whistling over her head. She didn’t stab him—not yet. She wanted to show every beast watching from the shadows exactly why she was the one in charge of their fire king.

The Boar Alpha was fast for his size, but his movements were heavy with the weight of his own arrogance.

As he missed his first strike, his momentum carried him forward, the massive stone club smashing into the dirt and sending a spray of gravel into the air.

Hana didn’t back away. She moved in.

"Too slow," she whispered, her voice a chilling contrast to his frantic grunting.

She didn’t use the knife to kill. Instead, she used the blunt end of the handle, striking the Alpha’s thick wrist with a sharp, calculated blow. The bone-breaking impact made his hand spasm, and the heavy club slipped from his grip.

"My club!" the Alpha roared, reaching out with a massive, claw-like hand to grab her.

Hana spun, the silver fabric of her dress flaring out like a beautiful metallic wing. She used his own reaching arm as a lever, grabbing his forearm and redirecting his force. With a grunt of effort, she drove her knee into the side of his leg, right where the joint was most vulnerable.

There was a sickening crack.

The Alpha let out a scream that sounded more like a wounded animal than a man. He tumbled to the side, his massive frame hitting the ground with a thud that made the laborers in the back jump in terror.

"You... you witch!" the Alpha hissed, clutching his buckling knee.

He tried to slash at her with his tusks, swinging his head like a battering ram.

Hana stepped back just out of reach, her eyes cold and calculating. She could see his pulse thumping wildly in his thick neck.

> [MISSION PROGRESS: 60%... 75%]

> [WARNING: REBEL MORALE IS LOW. FINISH HIM.]

Behind her, Caspian was vibrating with a mix of fury and awe. His hands were curled into claws, sparks dancing between his scales. He looked like he wanted to jump in and tear the Alpha apart, but he remained rooted to the spot, held back by Hana’s earlier command.