"If I catch either of you peeking, I’m going to test how strong this string is by tying your tails together."

Caspian and Raiden both turned around instantly.

Caspian’s back was like a wall of flesh and obsidian scale, his scale covered tail swinging obediently, while Raiden’s pink tails twitched with a suppressed, electric interest. He wanted to look, but knew Hana meant every word she said.

After making sure they weren’t going to turn around, she pulled down her skirt.

There was almost no need to have them turn around because they had seen her own there as well. But she liked to exert her dominance, and make sure they were listening.

Hana wrapped the simple silver dress around her body, pulling it tight at the waist and chest before securing the knot. It molded to her skin, cold at first, then rapidly warming up as it took in her body heat.

For the first time since she had arrived in this world, she felt completely covered. Secure. The hem swished just above her knees as she took a tentative step, testing the flexibility of her new ’armor.’

The best part of this dress was that it was indestructible, so she didn’t need to worry about getting stabbed in the back or belly, less they were aiming for her upper back.

But how could they guess she was wearing something indestructible and go for her bare skin?

This would give her enough time to react to the threat.

Just as she was tucking in the last flap of the dress, a heavy thumping started echoing from the mountain path outside. It sounded like a lot of feet. Or hooves. Heavy, aggressive hooves.

"Caspian," Hana said, her voice turning sharp. "It seems your guests are here."

Caspian turned around, his eyes snapping toward the cave entrance. His orange glow flared to a violent, predatory red. He sniffed the air for a second and then responded,

"The Boar tribe. They are early."

"It’s late, actually," Hana said, "The sun has set,"

The light that came in from the cave’s entrance had been replaced by the moon’s silver glow.

"I know that. What I mean is that they are not supposed to be here yet. It is too early to bring their tribute." he sniffed the air again. "And they smell... wrong."

Raiden stood up, his ears flattened against his head as his playful demeanor vanished.

"It seems they brought more than just tribute, Fire King. I smell iron and sour sweat."

"They brought a fight." Hana declared and they looked at her.

There was only one reason why a mob would come here after all, in the dead of the night. She had seen a lot of them. Desperate, scared, fed up... They were all the same.

"They cannot bring a fight to me. I am their king," Caspian arrogantly declared.

"A self proclaimed king," Raiden muttered, snickering and hiding behind Hana for protection.

"How dare you, fox." His face crinkled with irritation at the fox’s fearless character. "Watch me rip out your tails," he wanted to grab the fox’s head and pull him from behind Hana, but Hana raised her hand.

"Stop!"

They both paused and Raiden knew he was getting away with this.

Hana looked down at her new simple silver dress, her gaze falling to where her flint knife was tucked into her original skirt waistband, then bent down to pick the weapon.

She straightened up, the flint knife held firmly in her grip, walking towards the cave’s entrance. The silver fabric of her dress shimmered under the moonlight, making her look less like a stranded survivor and more like a cold, ethereal commander.

"Self-proclaimed or not, Caspian, they’re at your doorstep," Hana said, her voice cutting through the petty bickering. "And in my world, when the ’subjects’ show up unannounced with the smell of iron on their skin, they aren’t looking to bow. They’re looking to replace you."

Caspian’s nostrils flared, a puff of black smoke drifting from his mouth.

"Replace me?"

He hated that she sounded right. He hated even more that a fox was using his mate as a shield. But the sound of the hooves was getting louder, pounding the very ground they were standing on and shaking the loose pebbles at the cave’s entrance.

"Let them come," Caspian growled, his obsidian scales beginning to pulse with that low, dangerous heat. "If they have forgotten the price of defiance, I will remind them with my fire."

Suddenly, the system window flickered to life and Hana turned her head to see what mission it had for her now.

> [URGENT MISSION: THE SOVEREIGN’S SHIELD]

> Objective: Neutralize the Boar Tribe’s aggression.

> Bonus: Protect the ’Weak’ (The low-ranking Boar laborers being forced to fight).

> eward: +15,000 Karmic Points

> Penalty: -100,000 Points & [CRIPPLED REPUTATION]: Your authority over the Mates will drop, making them prone to ’disobedience.’

Hana’s eyes sharpened as the blue text hovered in her vision. Fifteen thousand points was exactly what she needed to keep the momentum going. It did bother her how making a dress gave her the same reward, but with how many hours she worked and the ache in her wrist, it was worth it.

And then she looked at the penalty. It was a literal death sentence to her progress. If she lost control over the dragon and the fox now, and they turned against her, she was as good as dead in this mountain range.

"Wait," Hana commanded before Caspaian mindlessly charged outside.

"Hana, stay back," Caspian warned, his hand reaching out to pull her behind him. "The Boars are clumsy, but they are heavy. One charge from their Alpha could—"

"I said wait," she repeated, her tone so sharp it made Caspian actually freeze.

She walked past him, the silver hem of her dress swishing against her skin. She reached the very edge of the cave, where the mountain path widened into a plateau. Emerging from the darkness was a line of massive, tusker-beastmen.

They were covered in thick, matted fur and crude leather armor, carrying heavy stone clubs and iron-tipped spears.

Iron... Just what Hana needed to create a new sustaining weapon. She couldn’t wait to obtain a new resource.