Chapter 23: The Tiger Awakens

Chapter 23: Chapter 23: The Tiger Awakens

Early the next morning, Ophelia had intended to sleep in, but the bustling noise of the Snow Wolf Clan members woke her up.

"Oh my god, Loki hunted down a tiger!"

"A tiger in heat is the most ferocious. He’s actually that powerful!"

"Yeah, I heard the last person to hunt down a tiger was the First Clan Leader who founded the Snow Wolf Clan a hundred years ago."

"Does that mean Loki is going to be the next Clan Leader?"

The news of Loki hunting a tiger spread like wildfire, growing as wildly as weeds in spring.

Ophelia sat up, rubbing her hair in frustration. "So annoying."

The door to the stone house was pushed open, and Tyler walked in carrying a clay washbasin. "Wash your face. Breakfast will be ready soon." He handed Ophelia a soaked animal-skin cloth.

Meanwhile, Amy and the Little Beastmen of the tribe were gathered around the tiger, peering at it curiously.

Miche smiled and said gently, "Slow down, Amy. Don’t fall."

A young female beside her, seeing her gentle and nurturing demeanor, whispered in her ear. "Miche, I heard Loki and Ophelia have already dissolved their mating bond. Is it true?"

Miche sighed and shook her head. "Alas, Ophelia is just too stubborn. She refuses to swallow her pride and make up with Loki. This is a critical moment for his campaign to become Clan Leader. What if this affects him?" A worried look clouded her face.

The young female held her hand and comforted her softly. "It won’t. Although she holds a noble status as a Princess of the Golden Dragon Clan, Loki has now hunted a tiger and has high prestige in the tribe. Even without her, it won’t affect his chances of becoming Clan Leader."

A young, silver-haired female winked conspiratorially. "Yeah, besides, isn’t it a good thing they broke their bond? Who doesn’t know that you’re the one Loki likes? If you become his mate, you’ll be the wife of the Snow Wolf Clan’s Clan Leader."

"That’s right! Waiting all this time has finally paid off," another young female chimed in.

Miche blushed and scolded her playfully, "Sophie, don’t talk nonsense. I... I just haven’t found a male I like, that’s why I haven’t taken a mate."

The silver-haired female named Sophie laughed. "She’s even blushing!"

The other young females also joined in with smiles, showering Miche with flattering compliments. Miche smiled faintly, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. She couldn’t hide the smugness in her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Amy stared at them in horror, unable to believe her ears.

"Amy, aren’t you the fondest of Miche? Now that your father and mother have dissolved their bond, she can become your real mother. Aren’t you happy?" Sophie bent down and ruffled the top of Amy’s hair.

Amy pursed her lips and said nothing.

Seeing this, Miche crouched down, her gaze tender. "Amy, are you reluctant to part with Ophelia? Do you miss her? But she admitted right in front of your father that she didn’t want a little female cub like you. How could she bear to abandon you? She has such a cruel heart."

Tears welled up in Amy’s eyes. Biting her lip, she retorted fiercely, "If she doesn’t want me, then I don’t want her either! I hate her the most! I want Miche to be my mother."

After lunch, Ophelia strolled leisurely to the tribal square, accompanied by Tyler.

By this time, a large crowd of clan members had already gathered in the square, looking expectantly at the raised platform in the center.

Soro, the Clan Leader of the Snow Wolf Clan, swept his gaze over the crowd with satisfaction. Clearing his throat, he announced loudly, "Quiet! I declare the Clan Leader election tournament officially open! Bring up the sacrificial prey from each of the competing males!"

With a grand wave of Soro’s hand, several young males stepped forward, carrying their prey.

The sacrificial prey represented a male’s strength; naturally, the larger and more ferocious the catch, the better. Most of the offerings were large animals like wolves, wild bison, and stags, while Loki’s tiger was saved for the grand finale.

The moment the tiger appeared, it completely overshadowed the prey of the previous males, instantly becoming the center of attention. The young males looked at Loki with awe, and several elderly elders revealed expressions of satisfaction. The young, unmated females blushed, constantly casting flirtatious glances at Loki on the platform.

Miche noticed their behavior and secretly ground her teeth in jealousy, but to maintain her innocent image, she had to keep a smile on her face and converse softly with the young females beside her.

Leaning against a tree trunk, Ophelia’s crimson lips curled into a slight smile. She picked at her nails, silently estimating the time in her head.

Tyler, meanwhile, stared at her intently, completely undistracted by the commotion around them.

On the platform, the eight competing males had already begun their one-on-one duels. It was an elimination gauntlet, and the last man standing would succeed as the Clan Leader.

Loki was scheduled for the fifth round. He obviously had the upper hand—a deliberate arrangement by Soro to exhaust the stamina of the earlier competitors so Loki could snatch the victory in one fell swoop.

Fighting for the position of Clan Leader, the males gave it their all. Soon, the weaker ones were eliminated. In the end, it was down to a final showdown between Loki and another young, dark-haired male.

Ophelia narrowed her eyes as she watched the duel on the platform. The dark-haired male was extraordinarily strong; having fought from the very beginning, he had consumed a lot of stamina, yet he was still fighting Loki to a draw.

Just as the two of them were engaged in a heated battle, the sleeping tiger on the platform gradually woke up. It shook its dizzy head and slowly stood up. The clan members’ eyes were glued to the two dueling males; no one even noticed the tiger awakening.

In the distance, when Ophelia saw the tiger unsteadily getting to its feet, her azure eyes instantly lit up.

ROAR!

Having been drugged unconscious for two days, the tiger woke up with green eyes full of fury. It just so happened that there were two "two-legged beasts" running around in front of it, and it immediately targeted them for its revenge.

"That tiger isn’t dead!"

"Ah, the tiger is jumping down!"

The clan members below the platform broke into a panic as the tiger leaped into the crowd like a predator let loose among a flock of sheep. The young females turned pale with fright, and the males sustained injuries as they tried to protect them.

"What is going on here?" Soro demanded, his face cold as he watched the tiger hunting everywhere below.

"Father, I... I don’t know either." Loki sharply spotted Ophelia in the crowd, hiding comfortably behind a tree. She looked completely unbothered, a smug smile playing on her lips.

"Ophelia!" Loki roared. Clenching his fists and gnashing his teeth, he rushed down from the platform and stormed right up to her. "Ophelia, why did you do this?! What good does this do you?" He simply couldn’t figure it out.

"I just didn’t want to see the members of the Snow Wolf Clan deceived by you," Ophelia replied calmly. "After all, if someone as weak as you becomes the Clan Leader, I’m afraid there will be no hope for the Snow Wolf Clan’s future."

"At the end of the day, I am still Amy’s father. She’ll only do well if I do well. You can’t possibly fail to understand this logic. Have him deal with the tiger right now, and I won’t hold this against you. Otherwise, don’t even think about seeing Amy ever again," Loki threatened, pointing rudely at Tyler.

Ophelia casually flipped her hair. "Tyler, let’s go. We’re returning to the Golden Dragon Clan."

Loki furrowed his brows. Taking a step forward, he grabbed Ophelia’s hand and shouted sternly, "Don’t you dare!"