The earth beath Lyerin''s feet shuddered violtly as the g rumbled with increasing intsity.


    The tremors were growing stronger by the second, and he could feel the raw, untamed ergy of Sophia''s Earth Rumble threating to tear the very g apart.


    His eyes darted a, searching for any sign of what was causing the disturbance, but all he could see was the earth buckling and shifting like a living thing, struggling to contain the immse power unleashed by Sophia''s newfound ability.


    "No, no, no!"


    Lyerin muttered, his voice tight with urgcy.


    He didn''t have time to think—he had to act.


    Drawing on the power within him, he raised his hands, summoning the swirling, dark ergy of the panther''s Mana.


    It wasn''t his natural Mana, but something more pott, more dangerous—a fusion of the panther''s shadowy essce and his own Eldr power.


    The ergy coiled a his arms like a living shadow, pulsating with an eerie, violet-ck light.


    With a sharp exhale, Lyerin mmed his hands into the g with all his strgth.


    The impact was immediate—a shockwave rippled through the earth, creating a deep, resonant kabang! as the g beath him cracked and splintered.


    The cracks radiated outwards like a spiderweb, stretching across the trembling earth.


    For a momt, it seemed as if the very g would split op, revealing whatevery beath.


    But th, something changed.


    The violt tremors began to shift, their rhythm altering as if responding to Lyerin''s intervtion.


    The cracks that had spread outwards started to retract, the g slowly knitting itself back together.


    The tremors that had threated to tear thend apart began to weak, the raw power of the Earth Rumble being drawn back into the earth, contained by the force of Lyerin''s Mana.


    The shift was slow, agonizingly so, as if the earth itself was fighting against being tamed.


    The g continued to quake, though with each passing momt, the intsity lessed.


    The earth rumbled like a great beast being lulled back to sleep, the tremors bing less violt, less chaotic.


    The cracks in the g began to close, the earth settling back into ce.


    It was a gradual process, the tremors weaking step by step, until finally, they stopped altogether.


    Lyerin let out a long, shuddering breath, his body sagging with relief.


    The tribe had almost be destroyed—if he had be ev a second slower, the Earth Rumble might have torn the tire area apart. But he had managed to contain it, to stop the disaster before it could truly begin.


    He could feel thest vestiges of the panther''s Mana fading from his hands, the shadowy ergy dissipating into the air.


    "Thank the heavs," he murmured, wiping sweat from his brow. "The tribe was almost destroyed... But fortunately, I''ve got plty of shadow Mana from that Borgias panther."


    He nced a, his sses on high alert.


    The g was still, but there was a lingering tsion in the air, as if the earth itself was holding its breath, waiting for the next cmity to strike.


    That was wh he ssed it—someone approaching, the presce was somewhat familiar yet differt.


    Lyerin turned, his gaze locking onto the figure emerging from the shadows.


    It was Sophia, but she had changed. Her blonde hair had turned a striking shade of , cascading a her in soft waves.


    Horns curled from her forehead, and her once-girlish figure had transformed into something far more seductive, her every movemt exuding a raw, dangerous beauty.


    Tears glisted in her eyes as she approached him, her body trembling with fear and regret.


    She was beautiful, achingly so, her appearance so alluring that it took Lyerin a momt to remember the situation they were in. But he knew what she was feeling—the fear, the uncertainty, the guilt.


    And as much as he wanted tofort her, he couldn''t resist the urge to tease her a little.


    "Why are you crying?" he asked, his voiceced with mock concern.


    Sophia hesitated, her tears threating to spill over. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and filled with anguish. "Did... did I do something terrible?" she asked, her voice trembling as much as her body.


    Lyerin couldn''t help but smirk, though he kept his tone serious. "Yes, you almost destroyed the tribe."


    The momt the words left his mouth, Sophia''s expression crumbled.


    Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as she stared at him, her face a perfect picture of regret and sorrow.


    She looked like a child who had idtally brok her favorite toy, only this was far more serious.


    Her lower lip quivered as she struggled to hold back her sobs.


    "I... I didn''t mean to," she stammered, her voice breaking. "I''m so sorry, Lyerin... I didn''t mean to... Please, forgive me... I didn''t mean it...


    I really didn''t..."


    Lyerin watched as her tears fell, each one a testamt to her guilt and fear. Her eyes were pleading, her voice desperate as she continued to apologize, her words tumbling out in a frantic rush.


    It was clear she truly believed she had caused irreparable harm, and the sight of her like this, so vulnerable and afraid, tugged at something deep within him.


    Finally, he couldn''t take it anymore.


    The teasing had gone too far.


    "Sophia, stop," Lyerin said softly, reaching out to pat her head. "You don''t have to feel sorry. It was my fault."


    She looked up at him, her eyes still brimming with tears. "Really?" she asked, her voice small and uncertain.


    Lyerin nodded, brushing a stray lock of  hair from her face.


    "Yes, really. Wh someone special like you awaks a natural ability, things like this can happ. A phomon like that is beyond your control, and it was my fault for not paying atttion. I should have be more prepared."


    Sophia sniffled, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.


    The tears were still there, but the raw panic had begun to fade, reced by a cautious hope. "You''re not mad at me?" she asked.


    "Of course not," Lyerin replied, giving her a reassuring smile. "You did nothing wrong. In fact, you''ve done something amazing. You''ve awaked a natural ability—something most Eldr warriors can only dream of. You should be proud of yourself."


    Sophia''s expression brighted at his words, a ttative smile breaking through her tears.


    However, as Lyerin''s expression turned serious, he added, "But you have to be careful, Sophia. Ev though you''ve reached a high level, you can''t go out alone. Not without the horses at your side. There are dangers out there that ev someone as strong as you might not be able to handle."


    She nodded, still sniffling but clearly taking his words to heart. "I understand. I won''t go out alone."


    Lyerin gave her onest pat on the head before he stood, ready to leave and continue his mission. But as he turned away, a sudd notification echoed in his mind, stopping him in his tracks.


    [ Ding!


    [ State: Due to having more Raging Brute in the tribe, the Tribe Leader would be forced to breed among the intelligt Beings in the Stonehooves tribe to keep a bnce. ]


    Lyerin''s eyes wided in shock as the message continued.


    [ Ding!


    [ Mission: Breed and Seduce the only female intelligt member.


    [ Failure: The Host won''t be able to use all the level-up Abilities for a month. Decline and Dy: The host won''t be able to use all the level-up Abilities for a year. ]


    The words hung in the air, heavy with implication.


    Lyerin''s mind raced as he processed what he had just heard.


    This was a new, unexpectedplication—one that could change everything.


    The thought of breeding to maintain bnce within the tribe was... unsettling, to say the least. But the consequces of failure—or ev dy—were severe.


    "Damn it, will I make it to rescue my mother?" Lyerin muttered under his breath, his thoughts a chaotic whirlwind. This thing didn''t appear wh Corora and him transformed, what could have be the reason why?


    This was not what he needed right now, not with everything else that was happing. But the notification was clear, and he knew he couldn''t afford to ignore it.


    Lyerin nced back at Sophia, who was watching him with wide, curious eyes, still unaware of the dilemma that had just be thrust upon him.


    He took a deep breath, swallowing his saliva.


    "Looks like things just got a lot moreplicated," he thought grimly.