"Run! Run away! The beast is attacking the Moon Lake Tribe!"

"Where are the hunters? Get them out here! Stop that monster!"

"Move! Out of my way—let me through!"

The gate of the Moon Lake Tribe had descended into chaos. Screams, curses, and desperate shouts collided in the air as panic spread like wildfire. Families pushed and shoved against each other, children cried, and warriors tried in vain to calm the madness.

"Faster! Move faster!" Wei Geng roared, his voice cutting through the din like a whip. He and his hunting team sprinted from afar, more than a dozen strong. Their destination was clear—the Moon Lord.

But they were still too far. Earlier, when tensions rose, Wei Geng and his men had pulled back from the settlement's center, fearing they might be captured or turned upon. Now, that distance became their curse. Their mistress was trapped, and they could only watch helplessly as the towering shadow of the ancient beast loomed ever closer.

"Take me with you! Don't leave me here!" The Elder, his frail body trembling, clutched at the arms of passing warriors. His eyes were wide, glazed with terror.

Nobody spared him a glance. The rushing hunters shook him off, and the old man stumbled, falling hard into the dirt.

Thud.

"I—I don't want to die! Please! Someone, take me away!" His desperate wails were pitiful, but in the chaos, they vanished like pebbles cast into the sea.

The Moon Lord, standing unsteadily with her daughter, let her gaze fall briefly on the fallen Elder. Then she turned away, her aqua-blue eyes locking onto the monstrous silhouette barreling closer. Her face softened with sorrow as she pulled Yue Feiyan into her arms.

"Feiyan… it looks like we won't be able to make it to the Black Tortoise after all."

"Mother, don't say that!" the girl whispered, her voice quivering. Her slender arms wrapped around her mother's waist, and she buried her face against her chest. "We'll be fine. We must."

Not far away, Dap seized Liding's wrist with iron force. His keen eyes tracked the beast's movements, calculating every thunderous step. "We go now!" he barked. With a burst of speed, he aimed to weave between the gargantuan creature's legs, predicting where its titanic feet would fall and avoiding death by inches.

Boom!

The ground quaked as one massive foot crashed down. A shockwave of wind and dust blasted outward, toppling weaker tribesmen like straw dolls.

The Moon Lord shut her eyes for a moment, her chest aching. "So this is it. To die beneath the feet of an ancient barbaric beast… what a bitter end." She stroked her daughter's back with trembling fingers, her eyes clouding with memories.

Elder Sister… I won't live to see the truth you once promised me.

Ten seconds passed. Then twenty.

But death did not come.

Dap, his body taut with tension, suddenly realized something. "Wait… it's stopped."

The earth no longer shook. The beast's colossal foot remained suspended, unmoving. A ripple of confusion ran through the crowd.

"What's going on? Why isn't it moving?"

The Moon Lord opened her eyes slowly, disbelief flickering across her face. The monstrous giant that had moments ago promised their doom… had frozen in place.

Then, a booming, confident voice rang out, echoing above them all:

"Moon Lord, Yue Feiyan—hold on! I'm here to pick you up!"

That voice…

The Moon Lord's head snapped upward. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes found him—standing tall, heroic, upon the beast's head.

Luciel.

He leapt gracefully down from the beast's crown, landing before her with effortless ease. The scene mirrored the night before, when he had appeared just as suddenly, as if fate had timed his entrances with dramatic perfection.

His lips curved into a roguish grin, his mismatched gaze glinting wickedly. "So… how's this for a welcome ceremony?"

The Moon Lord's eyes stung. For an instant, she thought tears would spill over. A tide of emotions—relief, disbelief, lingering fear—crashed through her. She had truly thought the end had come. She had regretted so many things: never knowing love, never giving her daughter a proper home, leaving too many truths unresolved.

And then this infuriating man appeared, shaking heaven and earth, simply to tell her: I'm here to pick you up.

Her lips trembled as she bit them, then curved upward in a shaky smile. "Luciel… you bastard."

The words carried no anger—only joy, only the sweet release of one given back her life.

"Luciel?" Yue Feiyan's voice cracked with disbelief. She pulled free of her mother's embrace, her crimson eyes widening as she looked at him. She stared, then lifted her gaze further still—to the beast that had frozen in place like an obedient hound.

"That thing… it's not attacking?"

Luciel chuckled heartily, spreading his arms wide. "Scared you, didn't I?"

He turned, throwing a glance over his shoulder at the panicked mob and the quivering Elder sprawled in the dirt. His smile widened with satisfaction. "So? Did I help vent some of your anger?" He raised his thumb in mock arrogance. "No need to thank me."

"Who wants to thank you?" Yue Feiyan pouted, though her eyes shone with unshed tears. She rubbed furiously at her face and planted her fists on her hips. "Do you know how badly you scared us? I thought we were going to die!" Her voice cracked again, and she sniffled despite herself.

Luciel's grin only grew. "Good. Consider it… training. You'll need to adapt." He pointed proudly at the unmoving giant behind him. "And by the way—allow me to introduce you. This is my little companion, the Black Tortoise."

"The ancient beast… belongs to you?" The Moon Lord's voice wavered in awe. Her watery eyes widened, disbelief painted across her pale face.

Luciel nodded, utterly smug. "Uh-huh. All mine."

She could hardly process it. Ancient barbarian beasts were legends—creatures whose power rivaled the seventh tier at their weakest, monsters that could lay waste to entire tribes. And yet here one stood, unmoving, calm, docile… at the command of this infuriating, impossible man.

"How… how did you manage this?" she asked softly.

Luciel's eyes sparkled with mystery. He leaned in, smirk tugging at his lips. "That's a secret."

"Tch." The Moon Lord rolled her eyes and looked away, hiding the faint flush on her cheeks.

"Luciel, it won't… rush over, right?" Yue Feiyan asked timidly, glancing up at the massive beast again. Its sheer size still made her tremble. A single misstep, and the entire Moon Lake settlement could be flattened.

"Don't worry." Luciel's voice was calm, steady. "Little Black Tortoise is obedient. He won't hurt anyone I don't tell him to."

At that moment, Wei Geng and his hunting party finally arrived, panting heavily from the sprint. "Miss! Moon Lord! Are you safe?"

"It's alright," the Moon Lord said, wiping at the corners of her eyes quickly before anyone could see. She forced a smile. "A false alarm."

Wei Geng's eyes turned upward, locking on the gargantuan tortoise towering over them. His breath hitched. "That beast… did His Excellency Luciel bring it?"

"Yes," Luciel replied casually. "Now gather your families quickly. We're leaving for the Black Tortoise."

His gaze swept the crowd. He had called the giant here precisely for this—to make leaving simple. No negotiations, no drawn-out conflict. Anyone who dared stand in his way would think twice before opposing a beast of legends.

"Yes, at once." Wei Geng bowed deeply and dashed to fetch his kin.

But a harsh voice interrupted: "You… you mean to take the Moon Lord away?"

Dap. He stood a short distance away with Liding, his face pale, his tone wary.

Luciel turned his head slowly, his expression hardening like iron. "Yes. Do you have a problem with that?" His black eyes bored into Dap's with suffocating pressure.

For a heartbeat, Dap couldn't breathe. His instincts screamed at him, every nerve alive with danger. Before this man, even standing still felt like standing at the edge of a cliff. Rank Seven. Without question. A true powerhouse.

He swallowed hard, his bravado crumbling. "N-no… no problem. None at all." He stumbled back a step, trembling.

"Good." Luciel turned away dismissively, his focus returning to the gathering families. "Moon Lord, Feiyan—come. Let's go."

"Go up?" Yue Feiyan blinked, stunned. "You mean… on its back?!"

Luciel smirked. "Of course. Or would you prefer to walk all the way?"

"I want to go up!" she exclaimed, her fear melting instantly into excitement.

"Then let's go."

As Wei Geng herded his kin toward the tortoise, the Moon Lord tried to follow, but her legs buckled beneath her. She had stood too long, her body battered and weakened. She wavered, unable to take even a step.

"Feiyan…" she called softly, but the girl had already sprinted ahead in eagerness, deaf to her mother's voice.

The Moon Lord clenched her teeth in frustration, her pride torn. At last, she lowered her gaze, cheeks reddening, and muttered, "Luciel… could you… help me?"

He turned, eyebrow lifting. "What's the matter?"

"My… my legs are numb. I can't move."

Her voice, usually cold and commanding, was suddenly that of a shy girl.

Luciel's grin widened. "Well, if you don't mind… shall I carry you?" His eyes flicked briefly toward Yue Feiyan's back.

The Moon Lord's flush deepened. After a long pause, she whispered, "If you would."

And so, before the eyes of all, Luciel swept her up in a princess carry. Her body stiffened, her face burning scarlet, yet she made no move to resist.

From the tortoise's back, Yue Feiyan turned at the sound. Her jaw dropped, eyes wide, before she blurted: "Mother! Seriously?!"

Her mother only shot her a look, teeth gritted.

Luciel chuckled lowly. "Finished complaining?"

Feiyan stomped her foot, her face red. "No! And I'll never be finished!"

Still, she hurried after them, cheeks puffed in a pout.

One by one, the Moon Lake clanspeople were lifted onto the Black Tortoise's shell. At Luciel's command, the great beast rumbled, its massive body shifting as it began to move.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Each step shook the earth, and yet on its broad back, the people found unexpected stability. Behind them, the gates of the Moon Lake Tribe grew smaller, the panicked figures left behind staring in disbelief.

Dap watched in silence, his jaw tight.

"Dage… what now?" Liding whispered. "The Moon Lord's gone."

Dap exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple. "We return the people. This isn't something we can solve. Only the chief can decide."

"Just… like that?" Liding asked, stunned.

"Yes. That man…" Dap's eyes darkened as he watched the vanishing beast. "The leader will not take kindly to him. But we—we'd be fools to interfere."

Then Liding pointed suddenly. "Dage, look—someone's chasing the beast!"

Dap's lip curled. "Ignore them. Every tribe has scavengers, spies, and rats. They'll learn soon enough whose shadow they're following."

The Black Tortoise lumbered away, carrying with it the Moon Lord, her daughter, and the future of the tribe.

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