Chapter 5

It was a rare moment of free time, so I went to a bar alone.

Most of the patrons were beastmen. Seeing a pure-blooded human like me, they couldn’t help but be curious, gravitating towards my table one by one.

“Hey, sis.”

A young man sat beside me, his yellow ears perked up.

“Let’s hang out.”

“I’ll teach you a game we play in the beastman world…”

His tail unconsciously wrapped around my arm, soft and fluffy, feeling nice to the touch.

“Are you a cat?”

He paused, then smiled, revealing sharp teeth.

“Yeah, do you like it? A lot of people…”

Before he could finish, someone grabbed him by the throat and lifted him.

The young man was about to get angry.

But when he saw a venomous barb hovering before his eyes, he deflated instantly.

Kael’s posture was commanding; just standing there, he kept many other beastmen at bay.

The lights were dim, so I couldn’t make out his expression, but the veins on his neck were clearly prominent.

“He’s not a cat. He’s a leopard.”

“It’s dangerous out here. How could you travel alone? Or is he your new bodyguard?”

I stared straight at Kael.

“Put him down, then get out.”

An invisible pressure spread through the bar.

Kael took a deep breath and threw the young man onto the floor.

He didn’t leave. Instead, he approached me.

“We’re going home.”

“The sector’s energy fluctuations have been unpredictable lately. Be careful of uprisings.”

“What uprising?” someone scoffed. “General Liam Beckett is coming back soon! Who’d dare cause trouble then?”

I instinctively looked towards the bar entrance.

No one. A wave of disappointment washed over me.

Kael saw it clearly.

His heart inexplicably swelled with irritation.

“Let’s go.”

He reached for me.

Suddenly, Leo lunged, biting Kael’s arm, tearing at it.

Immediately after, red-eyed beastmen poured in from all sides of the bar, attacking anything alive, especially pure-blooded humans.

Countless eyes stared at me with hunger.

If Kael dared to leave, I would be torn to shreds.

“Brother Kael!”

Chloe crouched in a corner, tears streaming down her face.

“I’m scared!”

Fueled by pure survival instinct, I clung to Kael’s clothes, my fingernails bent backwards, drawing blood.

“Protect me! You’re *my* bodyguard!”

He tried to pull free.

“Don’t you dare! If you leave me, I’ll have Director Thorne kill both you and Chloe!”

Kael hesitated.

In that moment, Chloe was tackled by a large beast.

“Chloe!”

I don’t remember much of what happened next. All I know is, Kael left me again.

It hurt so much.

I was bleeding profusely.

Herbivore creatures scrambled for the wild growth sprouting from the floor, while carnivores greedily lapped at my wounds.

A flash of white light.

Time seemed to stand still. The next second, all the beastmen collapsed to the ground.

I was lifted.

“Anya, hold on to me.”

Light shone on his face.

Was it Kael?

No. He wasn’t this gentle. He didn’t call me ‘Anya’ with such tenderness, nor would he hold me in his arms like this.

“Liam…”

“I’m here.”

When I woke up, I was already lying at home.

All my wounds had vanished.

“Liam?”

Barefoot, I searched every room. No one. It was as if it had all been a dream.