Lord: I can see loyalty.

"The King is back!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of people walking briskly along the path leading from the village to the forest. The person in the lead attracted everyone's attention.

He was a tall man, over two meters tall, with a bare upper body and bulging muscles. His bronze skin was covered with old scars and tribal totem patterns.

He wore fine leather armor and animal hide boots on his lower body, and casually carried a huge bone hammer on his shoulder, which seemed to be made from the leg bone of some kind of giant beast. There were still traces of blood on the hammerhead that had not been wiped clean.

Most striking was the massive, bear-like wild boar accompanying him. The boar had sharp eyes, occasionally grunted, and its sharp tusks were terrifying.

He was followed by several equally skilled Cooper hunters.

Clearly, this man is the leader of the Cooper tribe.

His gaze swept across the ravaged battlefield, lingering on the corpses of the Haro people and their weary members before finally settling on the group of outsiders clad in metal armor.

Vio met his gaze, and a panel instantly appeared:

Name: Ronan Ferguson

Race: Human

Age: 29

[Faction: Cooper Clan Leader]

[Hobbies: Hunting, training, and beautiful women]

【Characteristics: Superhuman strength, ability to control wild beasts, and proficiency in various weapons】

Loyalty: Not loyal to you

[Status: Observing, Examining, Reflecting, Vigilant]

Vio stepped forward, pushed the sword at his waist back slightly, and placed his right hand on his chest, performing a simple, common aristocratic salute.

"I am Vio Ross, Earl of the Southern Border of the Kingdom of Rovia. I came here while tracking the Haro tribe who attacked my people, and I was attacked by the enemy."

Ronan's gaze lingered for a moment on Vio's young face, and then on the group of knights who had clearly been through a fierce battle.

After a brief silence, Ronan's lips suddenly parted into a wide grin, revealing a set of white teeth, and a loud, gruff laugh erupted: "Hahahaha! Well done! Great job!"

He strode forward, slamming his heavy bone hammer into the ground with a thud, kicking up some dust. He then patted Albright's shoulder forcefully before turning his gaze to Vio.

"The Earl of the South... Thank you for your help! I, Ronan Ferguson, King of the Forest, thank you! These Harlow bastards dared to sneak in and cause trouble while I was out dealing with a few raging beasts!"

His gaze swept over the corpses scattered on the ground. "Thanks to your help! Otherwise, I probably would have only found smoking tree stumps when I came back!"

Ronan turned and roared at a soldier behind him, "What are you all standing there for? Can't you see our distinguished guests and brothers just finished a fierce battle? Bring out all the good stuff from the cellar! Tonight, we're going to treat our friends and soldiers like the forest!"

Seeing his generous demeanor, Vio was slightly taken aback. It wasn't that he was moved by the other person's emotions; on the contrary, the lingering "Warning" on the other person's face made Vio feel uneasy.

This guy doesn't look like he's easy to deal with.

After the Cooper people had been busy preparing, as night fell, a bonfire was lit in the open space in the center of the village.

The tribesmen were extremely efficient; before long, large chunks of unknown animal meat, coated with herbs and rock salt and sizzling with oil, were brought out.

A variety of brightly colored and strangely shaped forest fruits filled the broad leaves, along with milky white wine served in rough earthenware bowls.

Ronan sat atop a huge animal skin, flanked by two shapely Cooper women dressed in bright clothes. He drank from large bowls, ate meat heartily, and laughed incessantly.

The Sky-Top Knights were initially a little reserved, but they gradually relaxed as the Cooper warriors offered them roasted meat.

Vio savored the uniquely flavored roasted mushrooms, but kept an eye on Ronan out of the corner of his eye. When the time was right, he put down his wooden cup and looked at Ronan, who was in the main seat.

"Ronan, King of the Forest, thank you for your hospitality. However... in addition to repelling the Haro attack, we also want to thoroughly understand the Haro people."

The lively banquet quieted down a bit as many Cooper people turned their attention to them. Albright also put down his wine bowl, his expression serious.

Ronan, who was cutting meat with a dagger and flirting with his female companion, paused, his smile slowly fading, and picked up a rough burlap cloth to wipe his hands and mouth.

He waved for his female companion to step back, leaned forward slightly, stared at the flickering campfire, and lowered his voice:

"Count Vio, look at them now, mad, filthy, like crazed beasts... But many years ago, in the time of our great-great-grandfather, the Harlows and our Coopers were brothers living together."

"We share the blessings of Mount Loba, hunt together, and worship the spirits of our ancestors under the moon. Our leaders back then were all called 'Guardians of the Mountain'."

He paused, picked up the wine bowl, and took a big gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"The change began about two hundred years ago when a hunting party of the Haro tribe unearthed the monster in the sacred forest deep within the Loba Mountains." Ronan's voice unconsciously lowered even further.

"It was like a huge pool of living black slime, large enough to fill half the cave. It emitted a stench of decay and...whispers."

"At first, it even seemed friendly. Several of the Haro hunters who were seriously injured were brought before it."

"It made the hunters eat a small piece of its own flesh and blood. After they ate it, their wounds healed within a few days, and even their old ailments disappeared." Ronan's face showed a mixture of disgust and fear.

"Who wouldn't want this panacea? After the news spread, more and more Haro people secretly begged the monster for its flesh and blood. It accepted all requests, and those who ate its flesh and blood were confirmed to have their old illnesses cured, and even gained more strength."

"But slowly, things started to go wrong."

His face darkened completely: "Those who have eaten flesh and blood are beginning to lose interest in roasted meat and berries, their eyes occasionally drifting towards their live prey, or even their own kind."

"Until one day, a terrifying tremor shook the sacred forest. Those who managed to escape said that the black slime monster had 'recovered.' It had grown larger, and its whispers had turned into commands. All the Haro people who had eaten its flesh rolled their eyes back at that moment and turned into monsters themselves..."

"Our ancestors, because they always adhered to the ancient precepts and maintained awe of things of unknown origin, and no one touched their flesh and blood, the chief at that time made a decisive decision to lead the whole tribe to migrate, leave the sacred land, and come to this valley now."

He raised his head and looked into the depths of the Loba Mountains.

"There are no more Haro people there now. All that remains is that monster and its twisted...followers."

The campfire crackled, illuminating the silent, solemn faces of the Cooper people around them.

Listening to Ronan's account, Vio lowered his head, and he roughly understood what the monster was all about.

When he looked up at Ronan again, he couldn't help but widen his eyes slightly, as Ronan was also staring intently at him.

[Status: Observing, Vigilant, Reflecting]