Free Web NovelChapter 122: The feline troublemakers
A heavy, scalding presence materialized right in front of her. Caspian’s dark, scaled form blocked her from any incoming danger, his golden eyes glowing like twin lanterns through the thick white fog. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
He let out a low, menacing hiss that vibrated the very air in her lungs.
"Are those wretched foxes trying to start something again?" Caspian rumbled, his throat expanding with a dangerous, snapping orange spark. "Tell me the word, Hana. I’ll turn this entire fog into a furnace."
"No, wait," Hana hissed flatly, keeping her left hand firmly on her stun gun as she tried to listen through the chaos.
Through the dense, blinding smoke, the high, panicked screech of Celene shattered the aristocratic dignity of the courtyard.
"It’s those filthy felines again!" Celene yelled in the distance, her voice cracking with pure venomous rage. "Guards, arm yourselves! We have troublemakers at our very doors! Do not let them touch the inner court!"
Hana frowned, her mind racing to recalibrate. Felines? Just what is going on here?
"Kulu," Hana called out, her voice dropping into a freezing, authoritative register. "Wind."
WHOOSH.
From the high roof frame above, Kulu didn’t hesitate. His massive, crimson wings flared out with a violent, coordinated down-stroke.
The sheer, kinetic force of his wings created a sudden, localized gales-force wind that sliced through the courtyard, blowing the thick chemical smoke out over the valley walls in less than three seconds.
The sudden clarity exposed the intruders instantly.
A heavy, well-coordinated band of beastmen had completely breached the outer iron gate.
They weren’t dressed in the traditional silk robes like the crimson tribe; they were clad in salvaged, rugged tactical gear and leather breastplates.
Standing at the front of the raiding party was a tight formation of powerful snow leopards, flanked by a dozen agile snow leopard archers who were already drawing their heavy bows, the iron-tipped arrows pointed directly at the trembling robed fox guards.
But it was the leader of the vanguard who drew Hana’s immediate tactical assessment.
He was an incredibly handsome, heavily built beastman, just like Caspian and Kulu, with clean, short white hair and sharp, icy blue eyes.
Atop his head, a pair of thick, white-furred leopard ears twitched with aggressive precision, and a long white furred tail with black stripes whipped violently behind his legs.
He wasn’t using a weapon; his large hands were already extended into five razor-sharp claws that gleamed like polished knives in the morning sun.
The leopard leader stepped forward, his icy blue eyes sweeping over the grand stone platforms, completely bypassing Hana’s group as he locked his gaze onto Lord Kaelen.
"You upper-ridge bastards!" the white-haired leader yelled, his voice a deep, feral roar that echoed off the metal shell of the Aegis bunkers. "We finally caught you off guard while you worship your metal shrines! No more of your annoying illusions! Tell me right now—where did you take my sister?!"
Hana stood entirely still between the two ancient bunkers, her hand resting flat against her stun gun as her eyes darted from the furious snow leopards to the disarrayed crimson foxes.
She took a long, slow breath, her deadpan expression returning as she watched the sudden standoff play out. What in the literal webnovel drama was going on here?
Lord Kaelen stood up from his stone throne, his pristine white fur bristling as his eleven red-tipped tails fanned out in absolute fury.
The six elders on the platforms bared their claws, their eyes darting around the courtyard as the robed fox guards struggled to form a defensive perimeter around the platforms.
"Insolent felines!" Celene screeched, her voice trembling as she kept a safe distance behind Lord Kaelen. "You dare breach our sacred sanctuary and accuse the Crimson Line of such vile acts? Your sister is not here!"
The white-haired leopard leader sneered, his black-striped tail thrashing against the gravel.
"Save your breath, witch! We tracked her scent directly to your borders before your annoying magic illusions threw us off! Search the perimeter!"
At his command, the snow leopard beastmen moved with brutal efficiency, bypassing the main steps to engage the scrambling fox guards. Arrow after arrow cut through the air, forcing the robed foxes to abandon their positions.
Chime.
The error screen across Hana’s vision suddenly fractured, replaced by a fresh, flashing blue notification window that forced itself directly into her line of sight.
> [NEW SIDE QUEST TRIGGERED: THE CAPTIVE AUDIT]
> Objective: Locate and liberate the hidden female captives taken by the Crimson Court.
> Analysis: The Crimson Line has been systematically accumulating unauthorized biological resources from surrounding sector blocks.
> Reward: +100,000 Karmic Points.
Hana stared at the screen, her brows furrowing. Great. A charity quest. Just what she needed when she was already running a tight schedule to clear her ninety-seven thousand, eight hundred and eighty point deficit.
But a hundred thousand points was a massive chunk she couldn’t afford to leave on the table anyway. If she cleared this, she would practically be in the green after opening the main bunkers and setting these foxes straight.
While she was brooding over the system’s sudden administrative shift, the white-haired leopard leader’s icy blue eyes flicked over to the space between the two Aegis Bunkers.
His gaze landed directly on Hana’s prominent belly stretching tight under her white dress.
Because the smoke had just cleared, his eyes immediately registered Raiden—a nine-tailed fox—standing directly behind her with his hands resting protectively on her shoulders. But he interpreted it however he saw fit.
"Another one!" the leopard leader growled, his savior complex instantly flaring to life. His eyes widened with a mixture of rage and determination as he locked his gaze onto Hana. "Don’t look back, sister! I vowed to save every single female these bastards dragged into this valley! Hold on!"
He didn’t know what he was dealing with, honestly, but he was completely fueled by adrenaline.
Leaving his men to suppress the fox guards on the steps, the leader broke into a full tactical sprint, his claws slicing through the air as he charged straight toward the space between the bunkers.
Caspian stepped forward, a massive, scalding wall of muscle blocking the path as his throat flared orange. "Where do you think you’re going, stray cat?"
Kulu shifted his weight on the other side, his steel-sharpened feathers rattling as he raised the metal spear to block the side. "Step back if you want to keep your pelt."
"Get out of my way! I’m taking that pregnant female out of his clutches at all costs!" the leopard leader barked, entirely misinterpreting the layout.
