Absolute Beast Dominion

"Hidimba, do you think you have the right to look into my eyes just because I am unable to hurt you now?" Zerathra said coldly.

"N-no, master Zera—"

"You lost your right to utter my name the moment you chose to try and break free of your slave seal."

The almost 30-meter-tall wyvern, from head to tail, acted in an absolutely submissive manner towards Zerathra, who wasn't even capable of hurting him right now.

The wyvern was covered in charred black obsidian scales with an orange flame underglow.

*pic*

The Wyvern's mere presence radiated heat and enough pressure to make sweat bead on Leo's forehead. Even the adolescent dragons looked a bit cautious. But they still maintained their superior dragon authority by acting tough.

The sweat was also the effect of the region they were in.

Right now, Leo found himself in a vast underground space just beneath the volcanic peak.

Apparently, there was a magical entrance just beneath the 90-degree slope Leo had climbed to reach the peak of the mountain.

That magical entrance had been built by Zerathra herself in the past, and due to her superior dragon magic, the wyverns couldn't destroy it and instead used it as a hideout whenever invaders came to explore the secret realm.

Hidimba, the leader of the wyverns, had thought that due to the non-interference rule inside the realm for beings above the age of 30, even Zerathra wouldn't be able to open it, allowing him to hide from her.

13:20

Hidimba, the leader of the wyverns, had thought that due to the non-interference rule inside the realm for beings above the age of 30, even Zerathra wouldn't be able to open it, allowing him to hide from her.

But his luck ran out when the magical entrance sensed Zerathra and opened on its own.

The space beneath the entrance was massive. It covered an area of around 5 kilometres from the centre, where Leo's [Geo Resonance Sense] didn't work.

With an underground space over 300 meters tall, it could comfortably serve as the wyverns' hideout.

But since it was underground, many places had lava ponds, lava rivers, and lava falls flowing everywhere. Though it wasn't a problem for the flame wyverns—in fact, they quite liked it—the same couldn't be said for Leo.

Leo was feeling suffocated in this place where the air contained more sulphur than oxygen. The smell alone stung his nose, but he still couldn't miss this chance to witness a Pseudo 6-star Dragon in action.

"M-master, I was unable to get out of the realm because of that strong human guarding the entrance," Hidimba said.

Zerathra looked around.

"Almost 150 kids, with half of them in the strength range of Peak 3-stars. 5 slave wives in the strength range of 4-star, and you yourself at Mid 5-star..." She looked back at his lowered head, her cold gaze enough to send chills through the other wyverns.

"Almost 150 kids, with half of them in the strength range of Peak 3-stars. 5 slave wives in the strength range of 4-star, and you yourself at Mid 5-star..." She looked back at his lowered head, her cold gaze enough to send chills through the other wyverns.

"You dare give me that pathetic excuse? The man you are talking about is barely Mid 5-star; heck, he isn't even at Mid 5-star, he is merely at the cusp of Mid 5-star. And you say you couldn't come out of the realm because of him?"

"H-he has strong beas—"

"Enough!"

The wyvern immediately quietened down.

"Do you really think I am unaware of your ambitions?" she asked.

The wyvern's expression and demeanour clearly suggested he was truly done for.

But Leo was confused about how the wyvern seemed so affected by Zerathra's presence. Realistically, Zerathra couldn't even harm a single nail on him right now. And not even her bloodline suppression should be working because all her interference was blocked by the world.

"Were you hiding all this time and betting on the fact that I would forget about your measly existence? So that when your slave seal broke, you could become a free man?"

"N-no, I was just preparing for the right time to safely break free from the humans' ambush and finally greet my master—you again. I really had no intention of running away, and this slave seal broke for reasons unknown."

"Reasons unknown, my ass." She smiled with an evil glint in her eyes.

"But if you really are so incompetent that you couldn't figure things out and were held back by weaker humans, do you even deserve to live? That too while carrying my name? Doesn't that mean your cowardly actions are directly tarnishing my name?"

"N-no! I was just making preparations to raze this city to the ground the moment I appeared. I did nothing with the intention of tarnishing your name."

While Zerathra and Hidimba were having their heated discussion, Leo suddenly received a system notification.

Ding!

Oh shit... Leo grimaced. This happened at the worst possible time.

Eclipsed Sun Direwolf [Nyxa] (Pseudo 4-star → Low 4-star)

Bloodline: Royal (5%)

Blood Bond: 76% → 78%

Stats updated!

Vitality: 3960 [5860 → 6360]

Strength: 3960 [5860 → 6360]

Agility: 3240 [5140 → 5640] + {100% boost (Optional)}

Stamina: 3900 [5800 → 6300]

Intelligence: 6255 [8155 → 8655]

Mana: 688,050 [897,050 → 952,050]

Since it was feedback from his beast, everyone around him immediately noticed the change.

The adolescent dragons' heads snapped towards him. The wyverns lined up nearby raised their heads to look at Leo. Even Hidimba tilted his head before quickly lowering it again, worried that such an action might offend Zerathra.

Leo's presence rose directly from Low 4-star to Mid 4-star. Exactly 2400 stat points from 1900, because that was the total amount of stats he received as feedback. A sudden spike of 500 stat points was no joke.

The only confused individuals were Zerathra and Gunther in the shadows. Since they couldn't sense things inside the realm.

"Why is everybody looking towards him?" Zerathra asked Pyrotrax.

"Aunt, this human's strength rose all of a sudden... now he exudes the aura of someone in the middle ranges of Mid 4-star."

"Eh?" Zerathra looked at Leo with a confused frown.

"We will talk about that later."

Saying that, she turned towards Hidimba.

There will be no talk later. Don't worry about it.

Gunther silently told Leo in his mind, which calmed his nerves.

By now, Zerathra's talk with Hidimba was over, and she had made a deal.

"Get all your offspring killed, along with your slave wives, to open the path to your ambition, or be trapped in this pathetically small place until you eventually die of old age—or until I personally kill you when you finally come out."

The moment Zerathra ruthlessly presented that condition, chaos ensued among the wyverns.

But contrary to the other wyverns, hope flickered in Hidimba's eyes.

"M-master, can I really be free?"

"Do you think it is my nature to lie?"

The moment he heard that answer, Hidimba immediately turned towards his wives.