Chapter 279: Dogs And Wolves (4)

“Stay still, you little brats!”

Smack!

With a violent shout, the young beastkin girl's head snapped to the side. Blood trickled from her torn mouth, and her cheek swelled red.

“Don’t hit the face, idiot. It lowers the merchandise value.”

“Ah

,

right, sorry. She was just thrashing around so much...”

A beastkin with brown ears and a tail bowed toward the group leader.

A young beastkin boy, witnessing it all, roared and kicked the ground. “Riru!”

The thick chains binding the boy clanked loudly.

Clang!

“

Aaaaargh!

” The boy thrashed as hard as he could, but the chains, thick as a grown man’s forearm, held firm.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay still—

Agh!

” The beastkin who tried to cover the boy’s mouth screamed and clutched his arm.

The boy had sunk his teeth into him, biting down hard as he glared at the hunters. Spitting out a piece of torn flesh, the boy’s eyes still burned with an untamed will.

“

Tsk

. Damn it, these silver-maned brats are all like this.” The beastkin leader scowled and approached the boy. “You little piece of shit!”

He kicked the boy down to the ground and stomped on him viciously.

Whack! Smack!

“

Hahaha!

Didn’t you say not to rough them up, boss?

“He’s going to the fighting pits anyway, right? It’s better to toughen him up a bit first.”

“

Hehe

, you’ve got a point.” The brown-furred beastkin chuckled, finding the sight of the beaten boy amusing.

The violent scene, thick with disgusting malice, unfolded before Kwon Oh-Jin’s group as they crouched in the bushes and silently watched the horror play out.

“Those bastards...” Song Ha-Eun cursed under her breath and began to stand up.

Kwon Oh-Jin grabbed her shoulder. “Wait, Ha-Eun.”

She shot him a glare. “You want me to just sit and watch that?”

“Just hold on for now.” Kwon Oh-Jin calmed her and narrowed his eyes.

Those brown-furred hunters were clearly kidnapping the two young beastkins.

So, that’s why Megrez said no to silver.

The chained children had silver ears and tails.

Kwon Oh-Jin quietly studied the group of brown-furred beastkin. It wouldn’t be hard to take down the eight of them.

Maybe we can use them.

If they could be used as guides to infiltrate the Khan Kingdom, that would be much more efficient.

“Ha-Eun, Isabella.”

“What?”

“Yes, Mr. Oh-Jin?”

“Stand behind me. Bow your heads slightly and try to look as obedient as possible.”

“What are you planning now?” Song Ha-Eun asked.

What else could he be planning?

“Just follow my lead, and you’ll find out.” With a sly smile, Kwon Oh-Jin turned to Riarc.

Riarc stood silently, his eyes filled with complicated emotions as he watched the captured children.

“Riarc, just stand beside me and glare at them, but don’t say a word.”

Without responding, Riarc quietly moved to Kwon Oh-Jin’s side.

Kwon Oh-Jin nodded slightly and rose from the bushes.

One of the hunters heard the rustling and quickly pulled out an iron club. “Who’s there?!”

Kwon Oh-Jin didn’t flinch and walked toward them. “What do you think you’re doing here?”

With his back straight, he took steady and confident steps. His tone and eyes were full of arrogance.

“Who are you...?” the hunter asked.

Frowning, Kwon Oh-Jin glared at them. “Did you just question me? How dare you?”

The hunters glanced at one another, hesitating.

“Answer,” Kwon Oh-Jin commanded.

He could feel the hunters scanning him.

In their eyes, all they saw was a young man with black wolf ears and tail, arrogantly glaring down at them. Behind him stood two stunningly beautiful women, bowing their heads obediently. On the other side of him, a massive wolf stared at them like it could rip them apart at any moment. On top of that, one of the women also had black ears and a tail. Even the wolf had black fur.

They could only conclude one thing. The young man in front of them had to be a noble from the Black Mane Tribe.

The beastkin leader of the hunters hurriedly bowed his head. “W-We greet the esteemed one from the Black Mane Tribe!”

Kwon Oh-Jin smiled faintly as he watched them bow like obedient lambs.

Just like the elder said... whether here or on Earth, it’s all the same.

Submission to authority naturally occurred in any society with a hierarchy.

Whether or not someone truly possessed power didn’t matter. If they looked the part, people would instinctively bow their heads. Especially those on the bottom, who made a living by kidnapping and trafficking young beastkin.

“We’re of the Brown Mane Tribe—”

“I asked what you were doing here. Why would I care who you miserable worms are?”

“Y-You’re absolutely right!”

The saying, “What goes around, comes around,” only applied to equals. When the power dynamic was clear, acting ruder and more demanding led to more esteem because respect often came from fear.

“Well,

um...

that’s...”

The hunters began to sweat nervously, glancing at the boy and girl still bound in chains.

Kwon Oh-Jin clicked his tongue as they hesitated.

So, trafficking beastkin from the Silver Mane Tribes isn’t entirely legal here, huh.

If it were completely legal, they wouldn’t be stammering and sweating bullets.

Kwon Oh-Jin glanced at the captured children and furrowed in disgust. “Are those filthy things for sale?”

The hunters’ eyes sparkled at Kwon Oh-Jin’s words. His offhand remark told them that he was one of those high-ranking nobles who didn’t care about the law—exactly the kind of clientele they dealt with.

“Y-Yes! That’s correct!”

“Do you already have a buyer for them?”

“There’s a buyer for the male, but not the female!” the leader replied with an eager smile.

Kwon Oh-Jin folded his arms and narrowed his eyes in feigned interest. “Who’s buying the boy?”

“That’s...” The hunter avoided Kwon Oh-Jin’s gaze and trailed off. After briefly hesitating, he quietly shook his head. “I apologize, but I can’t say.”

Trafficking the Silver Mane Tribe was a serious crime, so revealing the buyer’s identity was forbidden among these hunters.

“I see.” Kwon Oh-Jin smirked in satisfaction. “That’s a relief.”

“P-Pardon?”

“If you had told me who the buyer was, you’d all be dead by now.”

The leader flinched, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his spine.

“

H-Haha!

You know how it is. Nobody survives long in this business with a loose tongue!”

“Anyway...” Kwon Oh-Jin’s gaze shifted to the girl called Riru, and he cruelly smirked. “You said there’s no buyer for the girl?”

“That’s correct!” The leader slyly smiled and stepped closer, his eyes shining with excitement. “What do you think? Would you care to purchase a slave today?”

“

Hmm

. Is there any reason I’d want to buy such a lowly thing?”

“

Haha!

I see, you’ve never owned a beastkin from the Silver Mane Tribe before!” Sensing an opportunity, the hunter began spouting like an infomercial. “Silver manes may be fierce, but they’re incredibly useful once tamed!”

“Is that so?”

“Absolutely! With their superior physical abilities, they make for excellent bodyguards or obedient servants!” The man sounded obnoxiously enthusiastic like a TV shopping host. “And also...”

The leader stepped closer to Kwon Oh-Jin with a wicked smile.

He glanced at the two women standing behind Kwon Oh-Jin. “There aren’t many tribes as beautiful as the Silver manes, wouldn’t you agree?”

Kwon Oh-Jin clenched his fists tightly. He had already suspected this when the man had told them not to hit the girl’s face, but the Silver Mane Tribe was indeed being exploited in that way.

“She’s just a kid now, but later on...” The hunter's words left a nauseating taste like rotting flesh.

Kwon Oh-Jin deeply sighed and recalled Baek Mu-Kang’s words once again. “It’s really no different at all. Fucking hell.”

“P-Pardon?”

“Nothing. Go on.”

Perhaps realizing that Kwon Oh-Jin wasn’t interested in the girl, the hunter quickly cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“

A-Ah

, yes. Of course, I understand if you’re reluctant to touch something so lowly. Still, if you buy even just one, they’re incredibly useful in many ways! Just look at that beautiful silver fur! You’ve surely heard how popular it’s become among noblewomen lately to shear the Silver Mane Tribe’s fur and turn it into accessories, haven’t you?”

The hunter’s gaze shifted to Song Ha-Eun, standing quietly behind Kwon Oh-Jin.

“Your wife might also be quite pleased—”

“Oh-Jin.” Song Ha-Eun slowly raised her head with blazing eyes on the verge of bursting into flame.

She ground her teeth and stepped forward.

“Sorry, but I can’t hold it in anymore.”

“Wait, Ha-Eun. Just hold on a little longer.”

If she lost her temper now, the elaborate lie he had set up would fall apart completely. Sure, they could always resort to brute force and force cooperation, but the risk was too high without a mind-controlling ability like Domination.

“Just a little longer, please.”

Just when Kwon Oh-Jin reached out to stop Song Ha-Eun, the leader hunter flew back as if a massive truck had struck him.

Only the sickening sound of bones crunching could be heard.

Crack!

“

Gugh! K-Khuh!

W-What the—?!” The hunter gasped and choked as blood sprayed from his mouth.

Song Ha-Eun’s eyes widened as she turned her head. “

Huh?

”

Riarc bared his snow-white fangs and growled. “

Grrrrrrrr

.”

He walked toward the fallen leader hunter.

The hunter crawled desperately across the ground, his face pale as snow. “

Kugh!

W-Wait! W-Why are you suddenly—

Kugh

!”

Sharp fangs sank into the back of the hunter’s neck.

Riarc bit down, tore off a chunk of flesh, and swallowed it before turning to Kwon Oh-Jin. “I know you had a plan, kid.”

All the ridiculous acting and role-playing... Kwon Oh-Jin obviously wanted to use these hunters for some bigger purpose.

“I know it’s the more efficient route and you have more to gain doing it that way, but...” Riarc’s eyes, glowing like wildfire, turned toward the remaining hunters. “There are times when you simply can't hold back.”