Lana Mokos—an individual well-known to Ethan as a mber of the Azure Empire's royal family.
His relationship with her was a complex tapestry.
On one hand, Lana Mokos had swooped in just in ti to rescue Sherry and others from the monster that Edith had beco, even though her true objective was Oksd's heart.
On the other, she had blatantly used Ethan as cannon fodder.
Had he not fortuitously acquired that small wooden box, the real heart of Oksd might well have been whisked away by Lana Mokos, leaving him with nothing.
And so, when it ca to Lana Mokos, curiosity mingled with caution in Ethan's mind.
Of course, if an opportunity for payback presented itself, Ethan would not hesitate to strike.
However, confirming whether Lana Mokos was indeed the mysterious royal visitor to the Frigid Ice Cavern was currently a matter far easier said than done.
Just as Ethan was lost in these contemplations, Sherry's voice jolted him back to reality.
"Khosro is in trouble," Sherry inford Ethan.
Hearing this, Ethan instantly shifted his gaze.
Ahead of them, a throng of people had ford a dense circle.
At the center of the crowd stood Khosro and two mbers of his caravan.
Opposite them lood a formidable tigerfolk.
This tigerfolk was a towering figure, easily four ters tall, with fists larger than buckets.
Moreover, his aura was staggering.
A quick scan confird to Ethan that this tigerfolk had the prowess of a Rank S, and was likely a Dark Lord.
"Intriguing," Ethan murmured, a smile playing at the corners of his lips, as he discerned the unfolding tableau.
In the eastern coastlands, Dark Lords and Heroes had long been locked in a ceaseless cycle of combat.
Many Dark Lords focused on managing their territories, gradually amassing power and resources.
But as events unfolded, they sensed a change in the winds.
Relying solely on their territories for growth was a path that led to inevitable ruin.
Thus began a surge in communication among the Dark Lords.
Many started venturing out, either alone or, like Ethan, collecting resources from indigenous populations to strengthen their realms.
When the Azure Empire took over the eastern coasts and launched brutal campaigns against Dark Lord territories, the ecosystem of these enigmatic beings underwent a fundantal shift.
Organizations like the Devil Guild sprang up, bringing Dark Lords together in collective defense, facilitating exchanges and trades among them.
Ethan had sensed the presence of several Dark Lords like the tigerfolk, all of whom were covertly embedded within the crowd.
They had not revealed their true forms, and judging by their abilities to maintain human shapes, their Dark Lord Bloodlines were anything but ordinary.
Monts later, Ethan and Sherry managed to elbow their way into the center of the crowd.
"Insect, explain how you intend to compensate for my loss. That was a unique treasure, a powerful divine artifact once wielded by a deity. And now, you've shattered it!" roared the tigerfolk, his enormous fists radiating an intimidating aura.
Khosro's face was a storm of mixed emotions.
He had just delivered a shipnt and was about to enjoy a hearty al with his subordinates using the fifty Blue Sea gold coins he had earned, when this tigerfolk appeared, smashing a vase on the ground and accusing him of breaking a divine artifact.
"What nonsense! It was just a vase, how could it possibly be a divine artifact?" Khosro thought bitterly, though he dared not vocalize his contempt.
He could sense the overwhelming aura exuding from the tigerfolk, and just by the sheer physical mass of the creature, he knew he was outmatched.
"You're scamming us!" shouted one of Khosro's subordinates, unable to contain himself any longer.
The tigerfolk roared in indignation, "What did you say?"
Advancing nacingly toward Khosro's subordinate, he'd barely taken a step when the man was so terrified that he fell flat on his rear.
A ripple of laughter spread through the gathered crowd.
"Let tell you, if you don't pay up today, you won't leave Frosty City alive," the tigerfolk snarled threateningly.
Khosro, his face ashen, helped his subordinate to his feet and inquired, "How much compensation?"
"Well, considering it was an ancient divine artifact, and judging by your pitiful state, I doubt you have much. So let's make it easy—five thousand gold coins."
"Five thousand? Why don't you just rob us?" Khosro couldn't contain his anger any longer.
"Rob?" The tigerfolk paused, a trace of bewildernt flashing across his face, which then erupted into raucous laughter.
"You truly are a fool. Do you think I'm not already robbing you?"
His rhetorical question elicited another wave of laughter from the crowd.
Khosro's face turned a shade of livid green, but he knew better than to further incense the tigerfolk.
Calming himself, he said, "I don't have five thousand gold coins."
"Then prepare to die!" The tigerfolk swung his colossal fist.
"In haste, Khosro blurted out, "I have fifty gold coins that I just earned as paynt. Take it all, and let us go."
But the tigerfolk burst into laughter again. "Let you go? Oh, you silly humans! Don't you realize that if I kill you, those fifty gold coins are mine regardless?"
"You have no honor!" Khosro's face turned a deathly pale.
"Honor? Only the weak concern themselves with sothing as trivial as honor," the tigerfolk declared, disdain dripping from his words.
He raised his fist again, aiming for Khosro's head.
Resigned to his fate, Khosro closed his eyes.
But after a long pause, he felt no impact.
Tentatively, he opened his eyes, and there before him stood a familiar figure.
"Ethan!" Khosro was astounded, the last person he'd expected to see was Ethan.
Ethan nodded and said, "Khosro, we'll catch up later. For now, let play with this little tiger."
"Little tiger?" Khosro was montarily bewildered by the term, only realizing a second later that Ethan was referring to the tigerfolk.
By then, he also got a clear view of what had just happened. The tigerfolk's fist had indeed descended, only to be stopped by a single extended finger from Ethan.
Yes, just one finger!
Khosro was utterly stunned and equally relieved.
He couldn't help but think to himself, "Thank goodness I sensed that there was sothing special about Ethan and didn't distance him from our caravan. Otherwise, I'd likely have t my end today."
When he first encountered Ethan and Sherry, Khosro sensed Ethan's uniqueness.
Although neither emitted an imposing aura, powerful individuals often stood out in other ways.
As a caravan leader who had transported goods to various kingdoms, Khosro had t a number of influential figures, but none who struck him quite like Ethan.
For that reason, Khosro had agreed to let Ethan and Sherry accompany them, stifling the suspicions of his subordinates.
And that decision had, without a doubt, saved his life.
"Young man, who are you? You sure you want to stand up for him?" The tigerfolk questioned Ethan, a note of unease creeping into his voice.
Before him stood a smiling man who was evidently not soone he should trifle with.
"Stand up for him?"
"Don't misunderstand; I'm not particularly interested in taking sides. It's just that I've heard that tiger bones can be used to craft so valuable potions. I was thinking of asking you for a loan of so," Ethan replied, his smile unwavering as his aura began to radiate around him.
"Not too much, just one complete set will do."
The tigerfolk wanted to lash out, but the mont he felt Ethan's mountain-like presence, any thoughts of defiance evaporated.
Swallowing his pride, the tigerfolk imdiately knelt, "Please, spare , sir."
Ethan glanced at the tigerfolk, who even while kneeling was nearly eye-level with him. "Spare you? What are you afraid of? Weren't you so cocky just a mont ago?"
As Ethan's expression turned icy, the tigerfolk began to apologize incessantly.
Such an act was an imasurable disgrace for a Dark Lord like him.
The more Ethan witnessed, the more his disappointnt grew.
With waning interest in the matter, Ethan roared at the tigerfolk, "Begone!"
Hearing this, the tigerfolk scrambled to his feet and bolted out of Frosty City.
However, shortly after exiting the city and reaching the base of a snow-capped mountain, he clutched his chest, his eyes flashing with a mix of terror and despair.
"No!" he gasped, before collapsing and losing all signs of life.
This, of course, was the result of a technique Ethan had deployed.
As Ethan beca increasingly proficient with the Thunder-Language of Nature, he mastered a new tactic: the Thunder Mark.
This allowed him to mark enemies with thunder and set a ti for the mark to explode.
Naturally, this thod was effective only when there was a significant disparity in strength. On the tigerfolk, it worked perfectly.
Back in the marketplace, seeing the tigerfolk flee, Khosro turned to Ethan with gratitude. "Lord Ethan, I can't thank you enough. Without you, I would certainly have perished."
Khosro's subordinates also expressed their thanks.
Ethan accepted their gratitude, catching a glimpse of awe and a touch of fear in Khosro's eyes.
Without saying much more, Ethan simply advised, "Once everything is settled, head back soon. Frosty City is not exactly a safe place these days."
With that, Ethan gestured to Sherry, preparing to leave.
But Khosro suddenly called out, halting him in his tracks. "Lord Ethan, if it's not too much trouble, there's sothing I'd like to discuss with you. I promise it won't take up much of your ti."
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