Lilia's face was soft, filled with deep, emotional affection as she gazed at Zero's scars. Kaelith stood quietly nearby, her amber eyes reflecting her fierce loyalty. The atmosphere in the room was incredibly heavy and romantic.
However, Zero was not a man who easily got caught up in romance. He looked at the two women, completely ignoring the intense emotional atmosphere.
"Leave all of this," Zero stated calmly, his deep voice instantly shattering the romantic tension. "I am hungry. Let us go eat food
Lilia blinked, completely pulled out of her emotional daze. Her serious expression instantly vanished, replaced by a bright, excited smile.
"Oh! But you don't have to go far," Lilia said eagerly. She looked back toward the doorway. "Brielle, let her in"
Brielle stepped aside, and a nervous estate maid walked into the room carrying a large, silver tray filled with delicious, freshly baked bread, fruits, and warm tea.
Zero looked at the small tray and shook his head. "That is not enough space. We will go to the main dining table to eat"
Hearing this, Lilia got even more excited. Her eyes lit up with pure joy.
"Perfect!" Lilia smiled, her expression turning incredibly happy and a little competitive. "We will eat together at the grand table! You can sit right next to me, and we can share our food!"
The moment she heard Lilia offer to share food with her Lord, Kaelith's gentle smile disappeared. Her face turned incredibly defensive, and she gave Lilia a sharp, jealous glare.
"You do not need to take any tension for him," Kaelith interrupted, her voice firm and protective. She crossed her arms, making herself look even larger. "As long as I am standing beside Lord Zero, there is absolutely no need for you to worry about him. I am his companion, and I will take care of his meals!"
Lilia's happy smile twitched. She glared back at the giant centaur, completely ready to start another massive argument over who got to sit closest to him.
"I am the Matriarch of this house!" Lilia argued back. "I will serve him!"
Zero let out a heavy, tired sigh. He was a terrifying warrior who could destroy armies, but dealing with two jealous women early in the morning was giving him a headache.
"Enough," Zero commanded, his voice echoing loudly in the room. "Both of you, stop it. We are just going to eat. Let's go."
His absolute command instantly silenced them both.
Lilia quickly recovered her elegant posture. She gave Kaelith one last victorious, smug smile before walking up to Zero.
"Right this way, Zero," Lilia said happily, leading the way out of the bedroom and down the luxurious halls of the estate.
Kaelith puffed her cheeks out in a cute, annoyed pout, her hooves clicking heavily on the floor as she quickly followed right behind them, making sure Lilia did not get too far ahead with her Lord. Brielle just shook her head and followed the chaotic group toward the grand dining room.
Meanwhile, far away in the dangerous monster forests of the Stratified Domain, Seraphina Valerius and Elara (Zero's first companion) were standing inside their hidden base.
In the center of the room sat a magical measuring sphere—a special artifact Zero had given them to check their exact power levels and ranks.
Both Seraphina and Elara looked incredibly nervous and highly focused. They held their breath, their hearts pounding in their chests as they stepped onto the testing circle and placed their hands on the smooth glass sphere.
Vrrrrm!
Suddenly, the sphere erupted with a blinding, fierce red light. The magical energy swirled violently inside the glass before settling into a bright, solid crimson color. The floating magical text confirmed it: they had officially broken through.
Their nervous, tense faces instantly broke into massive, glowing smiles of pure joy and absolute disbelief.
"We did it!" Seraphina gasped, looking at her hands in shock. "We actually reached Rank-B! From Rank-F to Rank-B in such a short time... this power is unbelievable!"
Elara laughed happily, her own magical aura pulsing strongly. Zero's gifts had completely transformed their lives.
Watching from the side was Miko, the little Fox-Girl and Elara's adopted daughter. She slowly walked up to the two powerful women.
Miko had a small, forced smile on her face, trying to be happy for them. But her fluffy fox ears drooped downward, and her eyes looked deeply disappointed and sad. She looked down at the floor, feeling completely useless.
"Congratulations, Mama... Congratulations, big sister Seraphina," Miko said in a soft, sad voice. "You both have become so strong. I wish I had talent like you so I could fight too."
Elara's heart melted when she saw the sadness in her daughter's eyes. She immediately knelt down and gently stroked Miko's soft fox ears.
"Do not take any tension, my sweet girl," Elara said, offering a warm, reassuring smile. "Remember who our Master is. With Lord Zero, absolutely everything is possible. A lack of talent means nothing to him. I will personally talk to Lord Zero and ask him to give you strength too."
Miko's droopy fox ears immediately perked straight up. The deep sadness in her eyes vanished, instantly replaced by bright, shining hope. A huge, innocent, and overjoyed smile completely took over her face.
"Really?!" Miko cried happily. She threw her small arms around Elara's neck, trapping her mother in a tight, loving hug.
The peaceful moment was suddenly interrupted.
Mira, the Rabbit-Kin mother of the rabbit boy, came rushing into the room. She was panting heavily, her long rabbit ears twitching wildly with panic.
"Everyone, get ready!" Mira warned loudly, pointing toward the forest entrance. "A large group of human hunters is approaching our territory! They are heavily armed!"
Seraphina's face was soft, gentle, and happy as she watched Elara and Miko hug. She looked like the innocent, timid noble girl she used to be back at the academy.
The moment Seraphina heard the word "hunters," her gentle smile vanished completely. Her eyes turned completely cold, fierce, and filled with a terrifying, confident killing intent. She no longer looked like a bullied victim; she looked like an absolute predator.
Seraphina stepped forward, placing herself between the demi-humans and the entrance. Her new Rank-B magical aura flared up violently around her body, radiating immense heat.
"Let them come," Seraphina declared, her voice dark and utterly fearless. "Those humans have hunted, captured, and sold way too many demi-humans as slaves for their own greed"
She clenched her fists. The SS-Rank potential bloodline flowing through her veins demanded a battle. She looked back at Elara with a cold, confident smirk.
"Today," Seraphina said, drawing her weapon, "we are going to show them exactly what we can do"
The heavy footsteps of the human hunters echoed through the forest.
Seraphina Valerius stood at the entrance of the hidden base. She looked back at the terrified demi-humans.
"Everyone, gather together and stay far back," Seraphina commanded, her voice strict and protective. "Hide deep inside the cave. I will deal with these hunters"
Elara stepped right next to Seraphina, drawing her twin daggers. The magical aura around her body flared up.
"You are not fighting them alone, Seraphina," Elara said confidently. "We are both Rank-B now. We go together"
Miko, the little fox-girl, nervously grabbed the edge of Elara's dress. Her fluffy tail was shivering. "Mama... be careful. They look scary"
Elara looked down at her adopted daughter. Her eyes were incredibly soft, warm, and filled with a mother's gentle love. She knelt down and kissed Miko's forehead.
As Elara stood back up and looked toward the forest, her warm smile instantly vanished. Her face twisted into a look of absolute, freezing disgust. Her eyes became as cold as a deadly assassin's.
"Don't worry, sweetie," Elara said, her voice dropping to a dark, ruthless whisper. "Just wait right here. Mama is just going out to clean up the trash. I will be right back"
The bushes tore open, and six heavily armed human hunters stepped into the clearing.
The leader of the group, a massive man carrying a giant battle-axe, radiated the terrifying aura of a Rank-A warrior. The five men behind him were all solid Rank-B fighters.
The hunters looked confused. The Rank-A leader lowered his heavy battle-axe, staring at Elara. "What is this? A human woman standing side-by-side with filthy demi-humans? Have you lost your mind?"
But as the Rank-A leader and his men looked closer, their confusion completely vanished. Their eyes slowly scanned Elara's elegant, mature curves and Seraphina's stunning, delicate beauty.
The hunters' faces twisted into ugly, disgusting, and lustful smiles. Pure greed and dark desires filled their eyes. They completely forgot about hunting the demi-humans.
"Well, well, well..." the Rank-A leader laughed, licking his lips like a hungry dog. He spoke with absolute disrespect and abusive arrogance. "I have hunted in this domain for years, but I have never seen such incredibly beautiful women in my entire life! Look at their bodies, boys! Forget the slaves. We are going to capture these two women. We will have our fun and enjoy them all night long!"
Hearing these disgusting, abusive words, Seraphina and Elara completely froze.
They were calm and focused, ready to defend their home.
Their faces darkened with pure, explosive rage. Deep disgust and absolute hatred burned in their eyes. The air around them instantly grew freezing cold with terrifying killing intent.
"Shut your filthy mouths!" Seraphina shouted, her eyes glowing with raw magical power. "How dare you look at our bodies with those dirty eyes! I belong strictly to Lord Zero! He is the only man in this world who has the right to look at me like that!"
Elara stepped forward, her voice dripping with venom. "My body and my soul are devoted to Lord Zero alone! You disgusting pigs do not even deserve to breathe the same air as us! Today, you will die screaming!"