"Who dares attack a tribe under my, Incarnate Snow Beast King's, protection?!"
The voice boomed in their ears like a clap of thunder, forcing those present out of their daze from the previous circumstances.
The elders and tribe members of the Turbulent Blizzard Leopard tribe had fallen into despair for a second. Their tribe leader had died in front of them, leaving them with no chance of survival.
But the arrival of the Beast King put a glimmer of hope in their eyes. Perhaps they would have to submit themselves to a greater power, something they had always avoided before, but none of that mattered anymore.
Their tribe leader was their hope and pillar. With his death, they had no aspirations to become a King clan anymore. And besides that, submitting didn't sound so bad if they could get revenge.
Revenge that had evaded them with the death of their tribe leader.
In direct contrast to the feelings of the Turbulent Blizzard Leopard tribe, Damien and Ruyue had ugly looks on their faces.
This was a Beast King, a genuine 4th class being. The pressure that was enveloping the atmosphere at the moment, although weaker than Tian Yang's, was more than anything they could hope to produce on their own.
Looking at each other, they could feel the helplessness in their eyes. The difference between ranks was simply that large.
Especially between 3rd and 4th class, the difference was akin to a bottomless chasm. After all, 4th class beings, no matter how weak they were, would all be individuals who had touched upon the laws of the world.
A simple affinity or element couldn't compare.
Their eyes landed on the Beast King floating in the air once again. Running away from peak 3rd classes was possible no matter how many there were, but it was different for a 4th class.
Damien gritted his teeth. No matter what, this wouldn't be his grave. He had no plans of dying before he even got the chance to apologize to Rose.
A trace of ruthlessness flashed across his eyes.
'If it's like that, then all I can do is fight.'
While Damien and Ruyue were going through a myriad of emotions, the Beast King was calmly observing them as well.
'These two kids are the ones causing so much trouble?'
With his status, he didn't necessarily desire to have a massive number of clans and tribes under him, but it didn't mean he didn't enjoy it.
Especially when those tribes were of the leopard species like him. He wanted to gather them all together and form a massive unrivaled force.
Of these leopards, the Turbulent Blizzard Leopards were one branch that had a high growth potential, so he had been trying to coax them to his side for a while now.
It could be imagined his surprise when they sent a notice of voluntary submission, with the only condition being his aid one time. And so, he rushed down to provide aid only to find two humans facing the entire leopard clan.
Not only that, but also the tribe leader dead on the ground.
He furrowed his brows at the sight. It should be easier than walking to crush these two like ants, but for some reason, he had the feeling that things wouldn't go the way he wished.
Still, that wasn't something to bother with right now. In the first place, he had no grudge with these mysterious humans. Whether or not his interference actually bore fruit, he didn't care. As long as he made a move, the Turbulent Blizzard Leopard tribe would be submitted under him.
Concluding his thoughts, he once again looked towards the two humans in front of him.
"Do you two understand the consequences of what you have done?" His tone was domineering, infused with the mana of a Beast King.
Still, Damien didn't cower. Even with the massive pressure on his shoulders, his knees refused to buckle.
"Regardless of consequences, what's done is done."
Seeing his fearless attitude, the Beast King didn't know whether to praise his courage or disdain his idiocy. Still, from the short exchange, he was aware that words wouldn't be able to move this kid.
"Very well. If death is your wish. then I shall grant it to you."
The Beast King didn't move from his spot. Instead, he pushed his arm out and threw a simple punch.
Boom!
The air shattered at the point of contact and rushing winds billowed. Before Damien even understood what was happening, his body was flung backwards.
'What the hell?!'
He tried to stabilize himself in the air, but in the next instant, a shadow appeared before him and struck down.
Boom!
Another fierce impact rang out, and when the crowd looked over, they saw Damien's figure embedded in the snow.
*Cough*
A mouthful of blood unintentionally burst from his lips. When Damien clutched his chest, he could feel that it had slightly caved in.
Before he was able to regain his bearings, the shadow once again appeared before him, this time swiftly kicking him straight in his jaw.
The force of the impact snapped his head up, forcing his body to fly into the air. The shadow arrived in front of him and let out a flurry of punches.
Damien's body was like a rag doll. He was thrown back and forth without the ability to resist, his blood staining the white snow beneath him. With every punch, his chest caved in, his ribs broke, his blood splashed, it was unbearable.
But his high-level regeneration continuously repaired his broken body. This way, no matter how much he was beaten, he was never gravely injured to the point of no repair.
It seemed as though the Beast King had already noticed his regeneration and was timing his attacks to accommodate it. If that was truly the case…it was terrifying.
But Damien had no time to think. Every time he was struck, he did his best to control his mana and counterattack, but his mana was diffused before it even left his body.
It gave off a feeling of fear as if it was greeting a higher form of itself.
The beating continued for many minutes as those below could only stand like statues and watch in awe.
Even Ruyue, no matter how much she urged her body to move, was unable to do so. It wasn't a product of fear or cowardice, rather it was as if the air around her had been locked to imprison her.
From the looks of it, the Beast King didn't plan to allow them even the slightest chance of escape.
Boom!
Damien's body shot through the air like a comet before crashing into the stone wall of the cave dwelling, completely shattering the rock.
It was at this time when the Beast King finally came to a halt. His frail body stood straight in the air like a spear, looking like it didn't even take a drop of sweat to give Damien such a beating.
When the smoke cleared, Damien's miserable figure could be seen. Once again, he was covered head to toe in blood, but his face was pale as a sheet of paper and his wounded body was healing much slower.
His chest was still slightly caved in and most of his ribs were broken. If one looked closely, one could even see the slight shine of his Mana Heart through his skin due to how severe his injuries were.
Still, his eyes hadn't lost their luster. Even after all of this, he glared at the Beast King without a shred of fear.
This kind of behavior struck fear into the hearts of those watching him.
What the hell was he doing? Obviously the Beast King was just toying with him earlier. Did he really want to provoke him?
