"From now on, all of you will answer to me," Theodore declared. He dared to be this arrogant only because he was sure Drake was severely wounded. He'd been there, watching from the sidelines when Drake fought those two Rank 11 Chitinids. Though Drake had killed them, he'd been so badly injured that he fled without even collecting the insect cores. In fact, Theodore's recent breakthrough to Rank 11 was entirely thanks to those two Rank 11 insect cores. In a way, he almost felt like he should thank Drake for them. "You want to replace me as the new overlord of the three domains?" Drake walked into the main hall, his steps measured—neither fast nor slow. His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried perfectly, striking every person in the hall with a silent, suffocating pressure. Drake's dark eyes, as still and deep as an ancient well, locked onto Theodore. He lifted a finger and pointed at the air. Instantly, a deep fissure split the floor. It snaked across the hall like a dragon's tail and stopped just half an inch from the tips of Theodore's boots. A faint golden light pulsed within the crack, as if a great dragon lay sleeping beneath the surface, about to open its eyes. "Just you? You think you're worthy?" The arrogant smirk on Theodore's face froze. His pupils contracted sharply. He stared at Drake—completely unscathed, capable of splitting the reinforced black-gold stone floor with a single gesture—reeling from the shock. How could this be? Drake was supposed to be on death's door, wasting away in his private chambers. No… Theodore's thoughts scrambled. He must be pretending. He's just afraid I'll take his place as overlord, so he's putting on a show! Theodore stared at Drake, his initial shock hardening into forced calm. A broad, arrogant smile spread across his face as he met Drake's gaze. "Cut the act, Drake," he sneered. "I know you were badly injured on the battlefield, and you're just putting on a show. You wouldn't dare make a move against me." By now, Theodore was utterly convinced Drake was bluffing. "Drake, you don't have to keep this up," he said arrogantly. "You were decent enough to Thunderland in the past, so I'll make you an offer. As long as you get down on your knees, acknowledge me as your lord, and promise that the Drakonids will hand over half their treasures every year—including ten Level 11 beast or insect cores—I might consider sparing your life." As he finished, his eyes drifted past Drake and landed on Kieran, who had just walked in with Emma. "The Merfolk King is here too. Perfect. It saves me the trouble of sending someone to visit the Merfolk." As Theodore spotted Kieran, his grin widened, turning even cockier. "I'm the new overlord of the three domains. From now on, the Merfolk will pay an annual tribute. Let's say one million pink pearls, ten million white pearls, a hundred thousand bolts of sea silk, and…" He rattled off a whole list of demands. Kieran's face flushed a deep crimson with fury. If Theodore hadn't been a Rank 11—or if Kieran had even the slightest chance of winning—he would've already lunged forward and beaten the arrogant b*stard with his tail. "What new overlord?" Kieran snapped. "The Merfolk recognize only one lord, and that's Mr. Smith!" Has the Beast God gone mad? he fumed silently. How could He let a treacherous, greedy therian like Theodore ascend to Rank 11? Drake had ruled for years without ever demanding tribute from any of the therian clans. Whenever the Drakonids traded, they always paid fairly in star coins and crystals. Theodore, on the other hand, hadn't even settled into his new rank before arrogantly demanding every clan offer him tribute. If the domains ever fell into the hands of a therian like him, it would be a complete disaster. Theodore burst into laughter at Kieran's defiance. "Too bad. Your precious lord, Mr. Smith, is about to die. Right now, I'm the only Rank 11 in the three domains. If you won't acknowledge me as your lord, then there's really no need for the Merfolk to exist at all." He was Rank 11. Wiping out the unprotected Merfolk would be child's play. "How dare you threaten to exterminate my people?" Kieran shook with rage so violently that, if Emma hadn't been gripping his arm, he would've already launched himself at Theodore. As the Merfolk King, he was resolved to protect his people, even if it meant falling alongside Theodore in the fight. "Kieran, calm down," Emma said. Her own voice was tight with anger, but this wasn't the right time to fight back. Does being Rank 11 really give him the right to be this insufferable? she fumed. Just wait until Marcus and Lucien get here. I'll make sure they both beat that b*stard to death. Seeing Kieran restrained by a female, Theodore's gaze turned lecherous as it slid toward Emma. "Well, little female, you must be the Merfolk King's huntress, aren't you? "Since you're not bad to look at, once I've killed him, you can be my huntress and bear seventeen or eighteen kids for me. I'm Rank 11, after all!""Theodore, you're looking for death!" A murderous aura erupted from Kieran. "Ms. Tibarn, let me go! I'm going to kill him!" But someone else beat him to it. A flash of golden light, moving so fast the eye couldn't follow, slammed with pinpoint precision into Theodore's chest. There was no thunderous explosion—just a dull, sickening thud. Before Theodore could even react, his entire body was hurled backward like a broken burlap sack. His feet left the floor, and he slammed hard onto the ground. Drake's figure blurred, appearing behind the golden strike. "How dare you insult Ms. Tibarn and threaten to wipe out the clan of my Aquadome!"