The unexpected ending last night made Martha particularly smug. No matter how much Draven argued on the surface, she knew clearly that she was the ultimate winner.

  At breakfast, Martha openly challenged him with her eyes, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth—proud and flamboyant.

  Viola, meanwhile, giggled quietly while comforting Liliana, who was puffing her cheeks in anger, gripping a spoon tightly as she spread honey on her bread, pressing down much harder than usual.

  Draven put down his harsh words, promising to fight again tonight. He simply avoided them and turned to handle some other matters.

  The Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent had been released a few days ago, supposedly out hunting, but hadn't returned. Viola had mentioned it the night before, saying she had already finished building the newly repaired snake nest—but the creature hadn't even cast a shadow.

  Draven used his contract connection to sense it and found the serpent hadn't wandered far, lingering near the mountainous area outside the village.

  Feeling curious, he decided to check it out personally—to see what exactly had been keeping this gluttonous snake tied down.

  Riding his Nightmare Horse, he set out, but before he'd gone far, the sky darkened and soon it started to drizzle.

  Raindrops pattered softly on the cloth over his shoulders. He looked up at the gray, overcast sky and muttered quietly,"The rainy season never seems to give us a break."

  Though the rain was light, it was enough to halt the roadwork. However, the treants' task of moving the trees continued undeterred—the rain wasn't an obstacle for them.

  Draven thought little more of it; after all, the road wasn't going to be finished in just a day or two.

  He dismounted, led the Nightmare Horse up a hill, and followed the contract's signal.

  The rain intensified, water pooling on the grass, his boots squelching as he walked. Holding his cloak up, he kept a sharp eye on the surroundings.

  Soon, on a low hill, he spotted the familiar shape of the snake.

  The Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent lay quietly beside a small cave entrance, its body pressed against the damp earth, its head raised high, eyes fixed on the dark hole—as if waiting for something.

  Draven approached, crouched, and lightly patted its head with a slightly annoyed tone:"Comfortable, huh? Found yourself a shelter from the rain?"

  The snake's tail twitched slightly, like it was complaining about being disturbed.

  Since its recent upgrade, the serpent had noticeably shrunk in size. Its skin was smoother now, and even the feel of its body was less robust than before.

  Draven communicated through the contract with the Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent, asking what it was doing here.

  When the information came back, he was stunned. Something tasty?

  Frowning, he focused on the cave entrance.

  The hole wasn't large, about the size of a basketball, pitch-black, with a damp smell emanating from within. He closed his eyes and extended his spiritual senses slowly into the cave.

  After a few steps, he detected something unusual.

  An insect was flying slowly inside. It looked like a bee but clearly wasn't an ordinary kind. It was enormous—larger than a chicken egg—and its wing beats were slow but steady.

  Even stranger, it emitted a faint magical aura. Draven's eyes widened, and he frowned in surprise.

  This wasn't a magical beast or an exotic creature. It appeared to be a mutated ordinary insect. So where was that magic coming from?

  He deepened his perception. The further down the cave he sensed, the more bees he found. The entire cave seemed like a busy underground hive.

  Finally, at the very bottom, he saw a beehive structure over three meters in diameter—a complete, active hive!

  The magical aura in the hive was thick and potent, like a condensed source of magic, stirring excitement in his heart.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Draven's face lit up. So this creature wasn't just lazing around—it was guarding a treasure trove.

  He happily gave the Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent another pat on the head.

  The snake rolled its eyes, its gaze saying,"Whatever makes you happy."

  Ignoring it, Draven surveyed the hillside terrain. The cave wasn't deep, but extracting the beehive would be difficult—it would take some effort.

  But wasn't there someone at home who was an expert at digging?

  He picked up the Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent, mounted his Nightmare Horse, and rode toward the village through the growing rain.

  As he entered, Viola came out to meet him. Before she could say a word, Draven threw the muddy snake to the ground with a proud tone:

  "Caught it. Once the rain stops, we'll see how many prey it's swallowed."

  Viola frowned, looking at the filthy serpent. Before she could speak, Draven was already shaking off water and sneezing.

  He tried to dodge the beast-skin towel Viola pressed against his face, but she grabbed his head and wiped him clean with a firm grip.

  Once free, he grabbed Liliana and headed out."Let's go! Time to dig for treasure!"

  Liliana's eyes lit up immediately, more eager than anyone.

  Draven and Liliana rode the Nightmare Horse and soon returned to the hillside cave they had discovered earlier.

  The heavy rain was still pouring down, but neither of them seemed to care, as if the mud and slippery ground meant nothing to them.

  "Here, stop here." Draven jumped off the horse and pointed to a sloping patch beside the cave entrance.

  Liliana followed closely behind, circled around him, and suddenly shivered in the rain. Her skin shimmered with a bluish glow, and in the next moment, she transformed into a massive brown bear.

  Her thick fur looked even darker and heavier under the rain, and her big round eyes gleamed with eager excitement.

  "This the spot?"

  "This is the exact place! Dig slowly, be careful not to collapse it! If that thing gets soaked in the mud, it'll be wasted!" Draven directed from the side.

  "Got it, don't worry." Liliana's voice came from the bear's mouth. Though her tone changed, the playful spirit remained.

  One gave orders, the other started digging.

  Before long, the once green hillside was turned upside down; soil and turf flew everywhere, and with the constant rain, the ground quickly became patches of muddy sludge.

  They were drenched as if pulled straight from a river, clothes soaked through, hair plastered to their foreheads, but their spirits remained high, seemingly unbothered by the mess.

  The rain grew heavier, and the muddy water started to pour down into the deep hole dug by the bear.

  Draven frowned:"Stop for a bit, Liliana, don't dig anymore. If you keep going, it'll turn into a mud pit."

  The bear tilted her head, took two heavy breaths, then stepped back and sat down.

  Draven looked around, his gaze landing on a rocky wall. An idea sparked, and he walked over to tap the stone face:"Let's make a temporary cave here to shelter from the rain."

  Liliana nodded. Her two front paws quickly dug out a simple stone cave in a few swift motions. They took off their dripping raincoats and crawled inside, one after another.

  Inside, it was much drier. They sat down against the rock wall, catching their breath.

  Liliana rested her head on Draven's shoulder, looked up at him, and suddenly asked,"Are you sure there's really something tasty inside?"

  "Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"

  "There is!" Liliana immediately straightened up, counting off on her paws,"That one time, and last time... and..."

  Draven pulled her close, covering her chattering mouth with his own.

  Their lips met, and Liliana froze for a moment, then quickly fought back, even more eagerly. What started as a simple kiss soon turned into a tangle of tongues, and later into a warm embrace and playful wrestling.

  Only when the rain outside gradually eased and the sky brightened a bit did Draven relax, holding the little bear girl soft in his arms as they lay on the animal hide.

  "How's that?" he whispered mischievously."Sweet enough?"

  Liliana pouted, her cheeks flushed bright red like a ripe apple, but stubbornly said,"Big liar!"

  Draven laughed heartily, whispered sweet words into her ear, then gently kissed her forehead.

  Afterward, they put on their clothes and cloaks and left the cave.

  The rain had stopped, the air was fresh, and puddles still lingered on the hillside.

  The brown bear first jumped down into the deep hole and dug a drainage ditch at the bottom, channeling the accumulated water to a lower area nearby. The muddy water gushed out noisily.

  Draven busied himself sealing the cave entrance leading to the beehive, worried that water might flood inside and ruin their haul.

  It was fine as long as the bees stayed in, but if water got in, that would be a disaster.

  Once everything was prepared, Liliana transformed back into the brown bear and resumed digging. Her movements were more vigorous now, filled with vitality, without any sign of fatigue from before.

  Obviously, nourished by the blood elf's secret arts, her body had not weakened but become even stronger.

  Watching her, Draven suddenly felt it wasn't wise for her to keep digging."Liliana, step aside. Let me do it."

  "You?" The bear tilted her head at him.

  "If you dig any further, that hive might really collapse." Draven said, raising his hand.

  Concentrating, a huge black arm slowly appeared in the air. From shoulder to fingertips, fully formed, knuckles clearly defined, it looked just like the true Hand of Death.

  Since his promotion to High Leader, this ability had evolved too—it was no longer just a hand but a full arm extending from the shoulder.

  The Hand of Death gently probed into the ground, carefully and precisely pushing aside the layers of soil. After a moment, a dark brown structure was revealed.

  It was a huge beehive, nearly three meters in diameter.

  A strong magical aura emanated from the hive, accompanied by a nearly intoxicatingly sweet fragrance. It was a mix between nectar and a magical potion—sweet but not cloying, as if a single breath could warm the body.

  Liliana, standing nearby as a bear, widened her eyes, her gaze sparkling with delight, and a bit of drool at the corner of her mouth.

  She clearly loved the scent.

  Draven withdrew the Hand of Death and stepped back lightly, quietly slipping on his magical lizard cloak.

  Although the magic inside the cave was only at the early leader stage, the fact that the Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent dared only to guard the outside but not enter meant there had to be something special inside.

  Otherwise, there would have been no need to specifically call Liliana over...