At that time, Draven felt uneasy leaving Rurik alone in Selene City. Rurik had always been a quiet and steady child—cautious in his actions and reliable by nature. However, he was somewhat awkward in speech, lacking a bit of confidence in his expression. After all, having followed Draven into exile at just thirteen or fourteen, he had endured many hardships and difficulties, which planted seeds of inferiority deep within him.

  In contrast, Bran was completely different. That guy was carefree, straightforward, and bold enough to try anything.

  At dawn, while Bran and his companions had not yet gone out hunting, Draven arrived at Village No. 1 with Titus.

  Inside the big house, Bran sat surrounded by forty followers, slurping freshly made mushroom cream soup. Bran had traveled alongside Draven all the way here and understood well the hidden treasures the forest held during the rainy season.

  Village No. 3 was in the same situation. These matters no longer required Draven's personal attention; with Gregor, their second-in-command, around, he didn't have to worry.

  Seeing the chief arrive, Bran beamed with a warm smile and enthusiastically invited Draven to sit down, serving him a bowl of thick soup. Draven did not refuse and joined the soup-drinking group along with Titus.

  Not long after sitting down, Draven shared the news of Titus's bloodline awakening. Instantly, the hunters' eyes were filled with envy, their gazes even more intense than the steaming mushroom soup.

  They had long passed the age for awakening and knew that acquiring such power now was almost impossible.

  Upon hearing the news, Bran was so excited he could barely continue eating. He immediately pulled Titus aside for a sparring match. Draven didn't stop them; after all, friendly contests among demi-humans were normal. He only reminded Bran to hold back and not injure Titus.

  Since Titus's bloodline had awakened, Draven naturally wanted to understand his new abilities. Titus said that besides being able to activate his bloodline power and transform into a wolf-dog form, the most noticeable change was his extraordinarily keen sense of smell.

  In other words, in terms of raw strength, the awakened kobold still couldn't match a werewolf.

  Sure enough, the two moved to an open space beside the big house. With roaring sounds, the two bloodline warriors transformed and quickly locked in combat. The larger figure was Bran, strong and powerful in his wolf form; Titus was smaller and more agile. However, in both strength and combat experience, Titus was clearly inferior.

  Within two minutes, Bran had pinned Titus firmly to the ground, leaving him unable to move.

  Titus struggled desperately but couldn't break free, and eventually, he had no choice but to admit defeat.

  Watching this fierce match, Draven patted Titus's shoulder and encouraged him not to lose heart.

  He said to Bran,"For the next couple of days, have Titus work for you. Take him into town to have some fun."

  Just having won the match, Bran raised an eyebrow with an excited smile:"Really? Bunny girls, here I come!"

  Draven took the Serpent Ancestor from his shoulder and handed it to Titus to guard. The Serpent Ancestor, a large snake, was usually docile, but this time when Draven went to the city, he had to bring a more intimidating companion: the Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent.

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  Once prepared, the Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent leapt and settled steadily atop Nightmare Horse's head.

  They soared toward Selene City, facing the rising sun. Unfortunately, luck ran out near midnight when the sky suddenly turned, and torrential rain poured down.

  Lightning flashed relentlessly in the high sky, threatening their flight safety. Draven had no choice but to order Nightmare Horse to land and find a concealed spot to shelter from the rain.

  Though drenched to the bone, they hadn't returned empty-handed. When they finally arrived at Selene City, Bran's makeshift vine basket on his back was already filled with the mushrooms they had gathered.

  He was still carrying a heavy clay jar, the water inside sloshing with a rushing sound. Along the way, the sky gradually darkened, and the air was filled with the damp scent of earth mixed with a hint of restlessness.

  Draven thought to himself: he had planned to surprise Rurik, but what greeted him instead was darkness.

  They walked straight to the stone house, only to find the entrance pitch black—no torches or lanterns lit. The stall that was usually set up in front of the door had disappeared, and the house was empty.

  Draven's expression immediately darkened. His gaze swept over the animal pelts spread on the ground, where several dyed pieces of leather clothing lay scattered—brightly colored, yet in complete disarray.

  The air carried a bitter scent of chestnuts, mixed with a unique aroma belonging to the rabbit-people, causing Draven to frown involuntarily.

  "Rurik, what the hell is going on?" Draven's voice was low, filled with obvious disappointment and anger.

  He crouched down and touched a strand of silver-white hair on the ground with his finger. The hair was soft and smooth—the distinctive color of the rabbit girl he remembered.

  Full of helplessness, Draven recalled the resources Black Flag Territory had previously provided for Rurik.

  He had never cared much whether the alcohol business was doing well, but he never imagined Rurik would misuse public funds like this. It felt like a betrayal. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pain and disappointment were written all over his face.

  "Let's go find him at the tavern." Bran's expression was equally grim. Like Draven, he was from the Black Wolf clan, with keen senses and had long guessed the seriousness of the situation.

  The difference was Bran's anger was more obvious, as if he wanted to immediately teach Rurik a lesson. He shouted loudly, put down what he was carrying, and rushed out.

  Draven quickly followed, both filled with rage as they hurried toward the tavern. Not far from there, they encountered Rurik.

  Rurik's face was initially full of joy upon seeing the chief and Bran, even turning to call out to Angelica behind him. But the next moment, he froze. Seeing the two approach, he suddenly turned and tried to run away.

  Draven saw this and felt Bran's teeth itch with anger. If the control in Selene City hadn't been so strict, Bran would have already unleashed his blood demon power, transforming into a werewolf to severely punish this traitor.

  Ignoring everything, Bran took a few steps forward. Before Rurik could react, he was knocked hard to the ground by a punch. Angelica screamed, wanting to intervene, but Draven grabbed her arm.

  At the same time, he shot a warning glance at two rabbit-people children who suddenly appeared nearby. The rabbit children watched helplessly, frightened and powerless.

  Draven sneered inwardly. This Rurik had completely fallen. It wasn't enough to spend public funds on buying drinks for a rabbit girl, but he even became a father to her?

  Seeing Rurik curled up on the ground, being punched and kicked, Draven felt no pity at all. If it weren't for Angelica, he might have kicked him a few more times.

  Suddenly attacked, Rurik was stunned. He struggled to block Bran's fists with his arms. Their strength was evenly matched; neither could overpower the other in direct confrontation.

  While defending, Rurik demanded angrily, which only made Bran more furious—especially when he saw Angelica, his rage almost exploded.

  "Why?" Rurik shouted, stepping back a few paces, his neck stiff with anger."Why?"

  "You still have the nerve to ask why?" Bran's voice was cold. He spat carelessly, muttering curses with eyes full of rage. He was about to charge and fight again but was stopped by Draven's calm command.

  "Enough! Don't cause a scene. If the lord's guards show up, we'll be in trouble. Family matters stay at home—handle it there!" Draven said sternly.

  Although reluctant, Bran stopped and, along with Draven, pushed Rurik back toward the stone house.

  Angelica and the two rabbit children followed behind, faces full of panic and unease. The situation almost made Draven laugh with anger—they looked like the villains here!

  Back at the stone house, Draven had originally planned to ask Rurik clearly how many resources he had spent on the rabbit girl.

  But when he asked, Draven was stunned.