After goofing around with Liliana for a while, Draven decided it was time to get down to business. He patted the little girl on the head and said in a low voice,"Take your two cows. Let's go find a place to settle them."

  Still immersed in her earlier excitement, Liliana nodded immediately and grabbed the reins of the two short-horned demon bulls without hesitation.

  Compared to humans, these bulls were absolute giants—each one big enough to block half a wall just by standing there. Despite their massive size, they followed Liliana docilely like pets, completely tamed by her sweet talk.

  Since the agreement had been made, it was time to fulfill the promise. Keeping them in captivity was out of the question—it felt too much like imprisonment. But letting them roam freely wasn't safe either. Without a bond to a master, the demon bulls might be mistaken for wild beasts and shot on sight.

  After some thought, Draven decided to assign them a separate territory—preferably away from the village, but not so remote that they'd be isolated.

  Fortunately, there was an undeveloped hill next to Flower-Fruit Mountain. The terrain was gentle, and a wide grassy patch spread across its base. It was perfect. With that in mind, Draven patted Liliana on the shoulder and said with a smile,"Come on, let's build a home for your little bulls."

  "How?" Liliana tilted her head, looking puzzled.

  "You turn into a bear and dig a cave, of course!" Draven grinned slyly.

  Liliana rolled her eyes but still pouted and transformed into her giant bear form. With loud grunts, she started digging.

  Dirt flew as her claws tore through rock and soil. Before long, a large semicircular cave had taken shape.

  The entrance was wide, and the interior stretched several meters deep, spacious enough to divide into multiple resting areas. Draven stood at the entrance, looking satisfied. He patted Liliana on the back and said,"Not bad. Good job."

  Draven added,"Tell them this will be their home from now on. We'll provide food and deliver magic potions regularly."

  Liliana conveyed the message to the demon bulls. They listened carefully, occasionally nodding. A few minutes later, they stepped into the cave together, took a stroll inside, and then each lay down in a corner, snorting contentedly.

  "I think they've accepted it."

  Draven nodded and added,"Tell them not to wander off too far. Stay near the village. It's safe here, and the treants will bring them fodder."

  Liliana relayed the instructions again. The bulls grumbled a few reluctant moos but eventually nodded.

  Draven let out a breath of relief but still wasn't completely at ease. He summoned Acorn Oak and a few other guards."Keep an eye on them. Don't let them stray too far. If someone mistakes them for wild beasts and shoots them, we'll be at a serious loss."

  "Understood!" Acorn Oak replied.

  Watching the two demon bulls quietly chewing grass in the sunlight, Draven felt more at ease, though a tinge of regret lingered.

  What a shame. If only they were willing to form a pact. Then they wouldn't just be a source of bloodwine—they'd be a real force in battle. With that size, charging into enemy ranks would be more devastating than a battering ram.

  He thought of his Ghost-faced Owl. That creature had signed a pact with him, but it was always elusive and rarely followed orders.

  If it weren't showing signs of evolving into a mid-tier magic beast, Draven would've already considered breaking the pact and finding something more obedient.

  Once everything was settled, Draven turned to head back to the village. But Liliana quietly climbed onto his back, wrapped her legs around him, and sat firmly in place.

  "I did a good job. You owe me a reward!" Her small face pressed against his back, arms hugging him tightly.

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  Draven laughed and supported her by the hips, holding her steadily."Then you'd better bring back more magic beasts. Hopefully, they'll all be as obedient as today's."

  As they walked, Liliana rocked back and forth on his back, chattering non-stop. It was as if she never got tired. Draven, meanwhile, found himself lost in thought, realizing he was beginning to enjoy these easy, peaceful moments.

  By the time they returned to the village, Viola and Sylvia had already planted the rhizomes of the Earth Dragon Grass.

  The farmland in Village No. 2 had been completely transformed. The old cassava fields had been cleared away, replaced with rows of various magical herbs and seasoning plants.

  Especially the newly designated potion field—it had been leveled with great care, and a shading net had been installed to protect the young seedlings from harsh sunlight.

  Viola was crouched at the edge of a row, gently tending to a sapling with a focused expression. Sylvia stood beside her, holding a notebook filled with potion data, occasionally glancing down to cross-reference notes.

  Looking at the strange, colorful magical plants around him, Draven suddenly recalled something Sylvia had mentioned before: under the full moon, it was possible to summon faeries.

  He glanced up at the sky and did a quick mental calculation—it would be a full moon in two days. The thought stirred a faint sense of anticipation in his chest. Perhaps something new and unexpected would happen. Maybe a rare faerie would appear in the moonlight and bring him another surprise.

  But he knew this wasn't the time to rest. While the weather was clear, he needed to start preparing the offerings. He couldn't afford to let this opportunity slip away.

  As for Village No. 3, Gregor had been performing steadily. He had successfully lured and captured two low-tier magical beasts in succession, each time striking swiftly and cleanly, then using his bone-crafted tool to absorb every last drop of essence from their bodies.

  He hadn't turned over these trophies, and Draven hadn't questioned it. After all, Gregor was a puppet. The sooner he reached his second awakening, the sooner he could be put to greater use.

  And now, Draven could already sense a restless power stirring within him—a sign he was on the verge of his second bloodline awakening.

  From a nearby tree trunk, the Serpent Ancestor watched silently, his eyes fixed on Draven. It was a look somewhere between envy and longing.

  His lips twitched slightly, but he said nothing. He knew that unless Draven granted permission, he wouldn't even have a chance to recover his strength.

  Between him and Gregor, there existed a secret agreement: once Gregor awakened and advanced to a leader-class beast, he would plead with Draven on the Serpent Ancestor's behalf, asking for the restoration of his power.

  That was why the Serpent Ancestor had been helping the young snakemen without reservation lately, generously passing on all his tricks and knowledge.

  There was another reason, too: he now saw Gregor as his trump card. He believed this young snakeman was on his side—perhaps the only one who could one day stand against Draven and overturn the rule of the Black Flag Territory.

  He had even begun sketching out a future in his mind: first, Gregor would rise; then, together they would seize control of the territory; and finally, they would crush Draven underfoot.

  Unfortunately, he had no idea that Gregor was merely a puppet.

  "I only need the essence of one more beast to awaken my bloodline," Gregor said, rising slowly to his feet. His fists clenched, and his muscles trembled slightly from the tension surging through his veins.

  The Serpent Ancestor silently slithered down from the tree, coiling around Gregor's arm."You still need to find a guardian beast."

  "Green Serpent, that coward, still has a few eggs from those mutated serpents. Those could work."

  Gregor nodded. He and Draven had already discussed this.

  In fact, all the giant serpent eggs had been entrusted to Green Serpent. No other snakemen had the ability to hatch them.

  Green Serpent's original guardian beast, a massive emerald python, had been slaughtered by the villagers months ago and made into dried meat—bones and all. Draven had traded its remains for rare materials.

  Although Green Serpent had been permitted to hatch a new python, the hatchling was still tiny—not even as thick as a human arm—and far from combat-ready.

  To be honest, Gregor had no real interest in it. What he wanted was a contract beast—like the one Draven had—his own powerful combat partner.

  The problem was, his spiritual domain was still empty. He hadn't even awakened the most basic contract aura.

  Still, his gaze drifted casually to the Serpent Ancestor coiled on his arm. Maybe this guy had a solution.

  So he began feigning interest in the guardian beast, talking up the mutated python's strengths—its incredible defense, immense strength, and deadly venom. The perfect battle partner, he said.

  The Serpent Ancestor listened for a while, then twitched an eye. He couldn't help but retort,"Those pythons are actually incredibly slow. Their response to commands is pitiful. Sure, they're strong, but they've got no brains."

  "But that defense is unmatched!" Gregor replied with mock indignation.

  "You've clearly never seen a truly powerful creature! Those things are just tools—no strategic value at all."

  Back and forth they went, voices gradually rising. The scales on Gregor's forehead darkened to a reddish hue as emotion flared.

  "If guardian beasts are so useless, then how the hell are we supposed to take down Lord Draven? You?!"

  The Serpent Ancestor abruptly froze. He didn't know how to respond, or even how the conversation had led to this.

  But suddenly, he realized something: the young snakeman had finally voiced what he truly felt.

  A slow smile spread across his lips."You've got a death wish, huh? Listen to me."

  He had a plan. He'd let the boy taste a bit of power. If Gregor really awakened, if he gained more strength, he'd become more dependent, more ambitious—and easier to control.

  Isn't it just a more powerful helper? What challenge could that be to the great Serpent Ancestor?