Everything happened so suddenly that even Draven didn't expect it. Just looking for a place to shelter from the rain, he stumbled upon an unexpected surprise.

  He saw a dense cluster of bushes not far away. Despite the pouring downpour, Draven couldn't contain his excitement and hurried over.

  Rain dripped off his cloak, the ground muddy beneath his feet, but he didn't care at all—his focus was entirely on the patch of green leaves before him.

  He crouched down and carefully examined the leaf veins and scent. The delicate veins were clearly visible, and the moist air carried a familiar yet strange botanical fragrance.

  Joy spread across Draven's face. He plucked a broad green leaf and gently chewed it. The taste made him laugh aloud, his eyes sparkling.

  "Elderflower!" he exclaimed in his heart. This was the treasure he had been searching for all these years!

  The scientific name of this plant is white elderberry. Its leaves can be used to make a kind of jelly, translucent in appearance and silky in texture.

  Though not exactly tofu, it resembled the crystal-clear kind, which is why it was nicknamed"fairy tofu." This food was especially suited for summer—refreshing and thirst-quenching.

  Excitedly, Draven tore off a large bunch of leaves and quickly stored them in his storage ring. Then he suddenly stopped and calmly glanced around. The dense forest around him was full of these elderflowers.

  He thought to himself that this was no mere stroke of luck—this plant must not be rare in this world, he simply hadn't noticed before.

  This rainy shelter unexpectedly turned into such a fruitful discovery. Draven smiled in satisfaction.

  Then he ran back to the large rock where he had sheltered from the rain earlier. The rock was enormous, with a raised part forming a natural canopy that shielded him from the heavy rain.

  He tightened his raincoat, crouched under the rock, and began sorting through the elderflower leaves in his storage ring. Overwhelmed by excitement, he had picked a lot and carefully wrapped them in animal skins he carried, preparing to take them with him.

  His mind was fully occupied by these miraculous leaves, completely unaware that back at home, Liliana and Viola were going through quite a storm themselves.

  The atmosphere on Liliana's side suddenly turned silent. Viola and the others were left speechless by a single sentence, the mood a bit awkward.

  After a moment, Viola showed her role as the lady of the territory, smiled faintly, and slowly spoke,"Martha, right? Welcome to Black Flag Territory."

  Martha quickly shook her head in denial,"No, I'm not! Don't say that!" Her voice was nervous and flustered.

  Viola looked at her, already having a rough understanding. Whatever kind of women the werewolf leader liked, she was willing to accept. After all, Martha was just a deer-person girl.

  She reached out and gently held Martha's continuously waving arm, signaling her to calm down.

  "Sylvia, stop dazing off. Come over here quickly, let's go inside and talk properly." Viola beckoned to the elf girl beside her.

  Sylvia, in her cat-person form, stood there somewhat blankly, and only after the call did she sluggishly follow.

  Standing aside, Titus watched this harmonious scene and couldn't help but admire his leader. By comparison, the women in his own home had never been this quiet.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  ...

  Draven remained crouched beneath the rock, sorting through the leaves in his storage ring. The rain kept pouring down, soaking his hair and clothes, but he didn't care.

  Suddenly, from deep within the forest, came a rustling sound mixed with the snapping of leaves and faint footsteps.

  Draven furrowed his brow, quickly stood up, and alertly looked toward the source. He knew that in such a harsh environment, anyone or anything sneaking closer wouldn't be a friend coming for a visit.

  Rainwater slid down his hardened face, bringing a chill. His hand instinctively reached for the weapon at his waist, ready for any sudden situation.

  The night grew darker under the wash of rain, shadows of trees swayed, and the sounds from deep within the woods gradually drew nearer.

  Clenching his teeth, Draven prepared to face this unexpected challenge. In his heart, he vowed that this rainy night encounter would not end so simply.

  Draven quickly packed away the animal hide and tried to suppress his presence as much as possible. Rain soaked his hair and collar as he drew his drake-hide cloak and swiftly wrapped it around himself.

  The cloak carried a faint damp, chilly scent, but at least it offered some shelter from the wind and rain and helped conceal his silhouette. Outside, the rain grew heavier, thunder rumbled faintly, and in the darkness of night, footsteps in the distance gradually drew closer.

  The footsteps became clearer, uneven in rhythm, indicating at least two people. Thanks to the demi-human race's night vision, Draven could see more distinctly— it was two succubi.

  They were drenched by the downpour, their clothes clinging to their bodies, looking disheveled yet still seductive. The two hurried along, their steps weary, occasionally exchanging a few words.

  Not far away was a large stone. One corner of the rock slightly protruded, forming a natural eave that could shelter them from much of the rain.

  "We can hide here for a while, wait until the rain eases before moving on," one succubus suggested in a lazy, slightly alluring voice.

  The other said nothing but headed toward the large stone.

  Soon they stopped beside the rock, leaning gently against its surface and began loosening their soaked clothes, trying to wring out the water inside.

  Draven froze for a moment. The curves and figures of the two succubi were laid bare before his eyes. Their pale skin glistened with raindrops, softly shining; their lines were gentle, yet their movements exuded confidence and charm.

  He clenched his teeth, struggling to control his impulses, but his eyes couldn't miss a single detail.

  "You know, Lady Freya is really a pain— such a vast territory, and yet she insists on hunting for some elf princess," the first succubus sighed, her voice full of complaints.

  "Yeah! No concrete clues at all. Not even a narrowed-down search area. I don't even know where to start looking," the second succubus responded with dissatisfaction.

  "When will this messy conflict ever end?" the first sighed again.

  Draven's heart tightened abruptly. The mention of the elf princess instantly brought Sylvia's image flashing through his mind. Freya was actually looking for Sylvia?

  Succubi and elves— these two races seemed intertwined because of some unknown matter. Draven focused all his attention on their conversation, hoping to glean more clues.

  However, their talk soon became disjointed. The topic abruptly shifted away from the elf princess to crude jokes.

  Draven felt irritated; their words were even more distasteful than petty gossip.

  Though both succubi were strong leaders of the first tier and without reinforcements nearby, Draven was not afraid to face them. But their backing was unusual— their patron was Freya, the lord-level deputy city master, definitely no minor figure.

  He hesitated in his heart, deciding not to act rashly yet, preferring to listen and see if they would reveal anything more useful.

  The rain gradually lessened. The succubi hung their wrung-out clothes casually on nearby branches, continuing to argue over who had captured more male races.

  Draven thought the conversation was absurd, even maddening.

  Especially when one succubus contemptuously remarked that werewolves couldn't even make the top ten among demi-humans, Draven completely lost his patience.

  His ghost armor quickly unfurled, like a dark shield enveloping his entire body.

  A blood-red spear shot from his palm, piercing the talkative succubus and pinning her to the giant stone.

  She screamed sharply, pain immediately showing on her face.

  The other succubus instantly reacted, swinging the whip on her arm with snake-like agility to coil around herself protectively.

  She didn't see where the attack came from and instinctively looked in the direction the spear flew from.

  Draven had already activated his Shadowstep and appeared instantly beside her, the succubus completely unaware.

  The feeling of controlling someone's life and death gave Draven a strange thrill.

  Without hesitation, while the succubus was still flustered, his armored hand struck hard on the back of her neck.

  She groaned softly and collapsed limply onto the muddy ground, her pale skin stained with dirt.

  Draven spat coldly, ignoring the succubus still pinned to the stone, whose life was gradually being drained by the blood-red spear.

  He took out some sinew from his storage ring, preparing to securely tie up the succubus who had fallen.