“Katherine, I think that’s enough,” Kai said when her movements stopped being precise.

  Katherine dropped the dagger and pressed her face against Kai’s chest. She began to cry.

  Kai held her—but did not fully embrace her.

  [System][Mission Completed: Conquer the Feline Cn][Reward: You have reached Level 5][New Skill Acquired: Attack Increase][Level 5 — Current XP: 55/204]

  New skill. Not spectacur. But useful.

  [System][Congratutions: Tribal Zone Cleared][2 New Zones Generated — Open the map to discover them]

  That took longer than expected. First zone cleared.

  But first, I need to do something.

  He lowered his gaze to Katherine. Her tears fell silently onto his shirt.

  “Kat, wipe your tears,” Kai said in a low voice, lifting her chin with two fingers.

  “Yes, master,” Katherine replied softly, wiping her face with the back of her hand before standing at his side.

  Kai stepped forward, turning toward the rest of the cn.

  “Catgirls, form a line!” Kai raised his voice as he straightened his back and pnted the club firmly against the ground.

  None of the catgirls moved. They remained where they were—some with arms crossed, others staring at the ground.

  Silence.

  “You heard the king. Do what he wants—NOW!” Sira said, stepping forward and pointing at them as her tail shed sharply.

  Wait… king?

  “You’re already a king…?” Katherine asked quietly, leaning slightly toward him.

  No. Of course not.

  Shit.

  What do I say?

  “Yes, Kat. By taking over this vilge, I now have more subjects than the fingers on one hand,” Kai said confidently, crossing his hands behind his back.

  Deep down, he knew he shouldn’t have said that.

  The catgirls began to move. One by one, they arranged themselves into a nearly military line.

  Interesting.

  Sira walked toward him with firm steps.

  Katherine pressed even closer to his side, wrapping her tail around his waist as if marking territory.

  Jealousy and competition.

  “Master, they’re in line. What will be the next step?” Sira asked in a general’s tone, slightly bowing her head and winking.

  Wait… so this is what power feels like.

  It’s… incredible.

  “Thank you, Sira,” Kai said without looking at her for too long, avoiding giving Katherine unnecessary ideas.

  He turned to the five remaining catgirls.

  “I will be your new king. I expect you to understand that,” Kai said with his chin raised and his gaze fixed on the center of the line.

  Several made faces. None spoke.

  “My goal is to continue expanding and ensure you can live better lives—better than what you have now,” Kai said, walking slowly in front of them with his hands behind his back.

  Ivark, in the distance, pced a hand over his chest and slightly bowed his head.

  Sira watched with a smile that was a little too wide.

  It seems power fascinates her.

  One of the catgirls stepped forward.

  “You human—” a catgirl began, clenching her fists.

  “Show respect. He is your king now,” Sira snapped, turning sharply and pointing at her face.

  “But we don’t obey humans, Sira,” the catgirl continued loudly, lifting her chin. “We are free. We only follow our own kind—not strangers.”

  It won’t be that easy.

  Sira looked at Kai, waiting for his response.

  Kai did not rush.

  “Regarding hierarchy… you will still have a leader,” Kai said slowly as he turned his body toward Sira. “A catgirl leader. And that will be Sira.”

  The catgirls looked at each other.

  The one who had spoken stepped back into line and exhaled sharply.

  Did they accept that option so quickly?

  Katherine gave him a small scratch on the arm.

  A warning mark.

  “Thank you very much, master. I did not expect you to grant me such an honor,” Sira said, bowing slightly with a wide smile that did not hide her ambition.

  Kai cleared his throat.

  “I give you this position, but…” he said, deepening his voice and fixing his gaze on Sira’s blue eyes, “if you betray me, a very sad end will await you. Do you understand, Sira?”

  Sira nodded quickly.

  “Yes… master. Of course, I will follow all your orders,” she replied, her shoulders slightly tense.

  Fear or loyalty.

  Doesn’t matter.

  Good.

  “Well, you now have a new leader. But I will be your king above Sira,” Kai said, stepping back to mark distance.

  “My first order as king is that you perform the proper rites for your former leader, Mira,” Kai decred solemnly.

  “Yes, master. We will,” Sira replied, lowering her head.

  Kai raised his hand.

  “As a second order,” he said, looking directly at the catgirls, “you will build and assign a house to Ivark. Katherine will live in her former home before she was expelled.”

  Pause.

  “I will live in the house of your former leader, Mira,” Kai said without hesitation.

  That made it clear who stands at the top.

  “Get to work, subordinates,” Sira ordered, turning with authority and walking toward the others.

  Ivark stopped tending to his wounds and approached Kai.

  “Thank you very much, master, for my new home. And your speech was worthy of a true leader,” Ivark said, lightly striking his chest.

  You too? It wasn’t that great.

  “Yes. I hope you enjoy your new home,” Kai replied, maintaining a straight posture.

  “As for your role here, you will be the defender of the vilge,” Kai added, nodding toward the perimeter.

  “Many… thanks. It will be a great honor to fulfill that role,” Ivark said, bowing his head.

  “If it’s not too much trouble, master, I will continue treating my wounds,” Ivark added, pointing to the cut on his chest.

  “You may go, Ivark. Heal yourself,” Kai said with a slight wave of his hand.

  He felt his shirt being tugged.

  He looked at Katherine.

  “Kai, thank you so much for what you’ve done for me—giving me back my home and hope for a better future,” Katherine said, lowering her gaze but gripping his shirt tightly.

  Kai observed her.

  You’re too dependent.

  I don’t like this.

  Should I change her personality?

  In the end, I do have the ability to modify one personality attribute.

  He pced his hand on her head and stroked between her ears.

  “This is only the beginning,” Kai said firmly.

  He lifted his gaze toward the vilge that now belonged to him.

  One zone cleared.

  One cn subordinated.

  A loyal orc.

  An ambitious leader.

  And four new zones unlocked.

  The system floated before him.

  Kai took a deep breath.

  “Well… let’s see those new zones,” he finally said as he opened the map.