Lions were known for their extreme belief in strength, so Kael had already planned to show them his power and this new lion gave him just the chance.
He didn't want to miss it, so he used his [Lightning Mantle] to increase his speed and blinked right before the second lion, with his hands transformed into fearsome claws of a dragon.
As the dark, sharp claw was about to descend on the lion, the beast took a step back to avoid Kael's swipe. But that was well within Kael's expectations. He changed the trajectory mid-way and targeted the lower area of the lion.
This time, the beast couldn't react properly, perhaps due to fatigue, as the claw stopped right before slicing into his upper mane. If Kael hadn't halted, the lion would have been beheaded right there and then.
Instead of getting enraged, the second lion focused on Kael's hand and the overwhelming aura he was emitting. "You… no human."
Kael nodded and backed away. "Try to stop me again, and my claws will go deeper."
The first lion stepped past him and said, "I said it. Get aside. He help her."
His brother was hesitant at first, but he arrived at the same conclusion. Their Alpha was dying, and without her, they were as good as dead too.
So, he nodded his large head and turned around, and the two of them followed behind him. The cave was narrow, but wide enough to let them walk comfortably within it.
Soon, they reached the end of the cave and found a large cavernous room with a massive lioness laying in a pool of her own blood. A foul, nauseating stench assaulted their nostrils but none of them reacted.
The lioness was twice the size of the two lions accompanying Kael, and her once-orange fur was dyed deep crimson. There were gaping wounds all over her body.
Some parts were scorched, and her flesh was burned, making her appearance extremely sickening. The worst part was that Kael could barely sense any life signs from her body.
She had suffered much more than Kael had expected, and if he had come even a few hours later, he might have found her corpse instead.
He sighed and stepped forward to approach her, but stopped in his tracks as a domineering, feminine voice echoed through the confined room.
"Who… are you?"
Even on her deathbed, the lioness hadn't lost her pride and presence. While she probably couldn't kill him in her current condition, Kael was sure she could still inflict serious injuries.
That was the impression he got from her and it impressed him deeply. More than anything, it made his desire to tame her grow even stronger.
Kael smiled and said, "My name is Kael, and I came to see if I can heal you."
"You aren't a human, are you?" the lioness asked, though her body remained still. "I don't need your pity. I fought and lost… failed to protect my people. But I fought until I couldn't anymore."
She seemed to be trying to display her pride and strength, but Kael could see through it, she was simply trying to comfort herself with the thought that she had done her best.
'Failing to protect the very people you swore to protect, heh… I feel you, girl,' Kael's lips curled up as he replied, "I only came here to propose a deal, not to show pity. If I started pitying beasts like you, then the whole wild would turn into a pitiful place."
"…What do you propose?" the lioness asked.
Kael was a little surprised that she was willing to listen to him, but he guessed it was probably due to his overwhelming dragon aura, and the fact that she still wanted revenge.
Whatever the reason, he was currently at an advantage.
"The deal is simple. I will give you a name, and with my mana pool, it should be enough to make you evolve. And as you may already know, evolution brings complete healing of the body."
The lioness didn't doubt his words, which relieved him, but she didn't immediately agree either. "What do you want in return?"
"I want you to become my tamed beast," Kael said casually. But the moment those words left his mouth, the temperature in the room began to rise.
"The deal is off, and you can go back to wherever you came from. I would rather die than become someone's pet," the lioness snorted in displeasure as her body shifted slightly.
A mighty pressure descended upon him, but Kael only smiled as Alpha fed him the information of the lioness.
[Third Evolution. Flameclaw Lion. E-Rank. She also has an Epic-Stage Fire Affinity.]
'Now I want her at any cost.'
Kael felt the pressure around him intensify, but that only made his smile grow wider. He said, "You know, I have an impossible goal and the first step toward it is building a great Kingdom."
He subconsciously began to release his aura, instantly flooding the room with a purple glow. "I want to make a Beast Kingdom, and I will make it no matter what. But I need allies and subordinates for that."
He pointed at her and added, "I've chosen you as my first subordinate and also my ally. That's why I'm here, to recruit you as one of the founding members of the future Beast Empire."
There was a moment of stunned silence as the two lions looked at Kael like he was the most insane being they had ever encountered.
After all, what he was suggesting was basically a declaration of war on all Beast Tribes. So many had tried to build a so-called Beast Empire since the beginning of the Fifth Epoch—and none had ever succeeded.
Because of that long history of failure, no one had tried to conquer or unite the beasts in a long, long time. Every attempt ended in bloody disaster.
This humanoid being before them should have known that, so why was he so confident? They couldn't understand it at all.
Suddenly, the lioness began to laugh loudly, her body trembling with mirth, causing several of her wounds to reopen but she didn't seem to care.
"You are one crazy one, aren't you?"
"Thanks for the compliment," Kael smiled, withdrawing all of his aura. "So… what have you decided?"