318 Chapter 318 (1/2)
«I don't think you fully understand this situation, baby tiger. Let's dot the i's and cross the t's. You are my trophy that almost cost me my life. I did not save you from the cruel hunters. I took you for myself. It wasn't an act of kindness but greed and selfishness that you, beasts, hate so much. Roughly speaking, you've changed the owner, and you will serve me as long as I want, and the way I want. No threats will ever make me give up this adorable, precious kitty. Did you get it?»
Even if the tiger had turned into a decrepit old man instead of the beautiful girl, Kyon would not have regretted his reckless actions to capture his trophy. On the other hand, the tigress was hardly a trophy. Kyon had harnessed her on his own, only the formation wasn't his. Hadn't he intervened, the hunters would have enslaved and abused the beast for revenge, despite her attempt to trick them by faking unconsciousness. So, she was his well-deserved prey, after all.
Triana looked at the man, burning him with her intent gaze. Indeed, human greed knew no bounds. She failed to get her freedom, and it would be incredibly difficult to do because she was a noble supreme beast who didn't know how to cheat or manipulate. What else could she do if she failed to convince him?
«By the way...» – Kyon smiled slyly. – «You have promised not to kill me, but what will prevent you from beating me to a pulp? Did you leave a gap in your promise to get even with me? You are quite scheming and cunning for a supreme beast. You might have the makings of a deceitful human, after all!»
«It's not true!» – Triana snapped, holding her tail high in the air. – «I am a white tiger, a noble descendant of the royal dynasty, not some filthy human! I promised you not to kill you, and it comprised the idea of doing you no harm! You humans always think there's a catch in every word, but don't you dare to compare me to the sleazy scum that tries to deceive everyone at the first opportunity!»
Kyon snorted coldly: «You sound so arrogant, but not so long ago, being caught in the net, you pretended to be unconscious to kill the brainless hunters and did it quite well. You used the typical ”sleazy scum” trick and you still have the audacity to deny my words?»
Triana opened her mouth with indignation. It was painfully humiliating to hear his shameless and seemingly well-grounded words as if he poured a pot of slop over her head. He had hurt her pride that was based on racial superiority, and she categorically denied everything: «No! It's not true! I was a survival thing, an instinct to defend myself! There was nothing mean or insidious in my actions. I was just trying to protect my freedom and life!»
Triana's chest heaved with anger. It was vital for her to protect her honor, for her own sake in the first place. How dared this ugly man stroke her? He might be her owner, but she wasn't going to put up with such treatment!
«Get your hand off me. No human will ever touch me!» – Triana barked in her growling voice, but Kyon didn't move his hand. His grin grew even wider.
The tigress bared her white, vampire-like fangs: «I would gladly kill you even though you are my master who I promised to obey! Don't you ever question my honor! I am no human but a noble supreme beast!» – She returned to the main issue. Each word she said sounded with a firm belief in her superiority.
«As you say, noble supreme beast, who feeds on people.» – Kyon smiled slyly, scratching her ears that she pinned back in anger. What a ferocious cat! Every word, every gesture only highlighted her predatory nature. Her eyes sparkled with bloodlust.
«As if you don't eat us!» – The tigress objected angrily, throwing his hand off her head.
Triana caught her breath. It was unbearably disgusting for her to deal with this nasty man. He made her feel like she was a thing whose value he wanted to estimate. With a heavy-heart, Triana did what he said. She understood that she'd better prove herself an asset to him: «I am at the fifth stage in the royal phase, bending the pure energy, the wind, the earth and the light elements…»
However, this theory was a bit inconsistent. How could his body guess which elements the source of the mortal threat had at their disposal? Triana might have instinctively infused her claws with the light to increase the effect, and his body could have sensed it, but Valira wouldn't have infused her dagger with the darkness to kill a weakling who had helped her in the library… It seemed rather weird.
After Triana told him about her skills, she went on to the most important things: «By virtue of my purest royal bloodline, I have an alpha beast inborn body of the highest rank that allows me to command unintelligent beasts one phase below me with a roar. If they are intelligent, the difference in the cultivation should be at least three phases…» – The tigress spoke of herself in a boastful manner. She was convinced that her presentation could win the owner's favor. However, her attempts looked endearingly inept, even charmingly ridiculous as if a child was trying to impress an adult.
«Also, I cultivate the legendary Jade Claws body. With my claws, I can destroy mountains, chop down thousand-year-old trees, and even cut equal opponents like a red-hot knife slices butter! Yeah…»
«Even me?» – Kyon asked casually.
Triana was confused for a moment and looked thoughtfully away: «No, not you…»
«Why? Lying again?» – Lovr pretended he didn't get to tease her again.
«No! Stop insulting me! You are tough like Valuev, the wild boar in the lord phase, who cultivated diamond skin…» – Triana said confidently. – «By the way, may I ask you why you're so strong and tough?» – The curious girl tilted her head to one side. She couldn't help it, curiosity ran in her blood. She still couldn't believe that he had thrown her a hundred meters away with a careless wave of his hand.