Caleb watched as everyone retreated, leaving him standing alone. A surge of anger and despair welled up inside him.

    Though he had always been cautious and never truly trusted his subordinates, at the very least, he had ensured they had full stomachs while other Lords struggled to find food.

    And yet, in the end, these bastards didn''t stand by him. Instead, when they saw him show a hint of fear, they discarded him without hesitation.

    Austin didn''t bother waiting for Caleb''s response. Laughing, he said, "Alright, you look just like a stray dog right now, and I have no interest in beating a dog. After all, I''m a kind person. So, I''m willing to give you a chance."

    "When I return, I expect you to bring all your resources here, kneel until nightfall, and maybe then... I''ll let you live."

    Caleb gritted his teeth, but a particular phrase in Austin''s words caught his attention. His brows furrowed as he asked, "When you return? Are you planning to find that monster in the forest?"

    His assumption wasn''t far-fetched. He didn''t believe Austin had gathered such a force just to intimidate him.

    "Hahaha... I''m not an idiot," Austin laughed. "You brought even more Lords than I did and still couldn''t win. Do you think I''d make the same stupid mistake?"

    "I simply want to meet a certain boy hiding a very interesting secret."

    Upon hearing this, Caleb immediately thought of a young man with a lazy demeanor—yet someone who still managed to terrify him.

    That''s right.

    It was Noan.

    "Noan?" Caleb murmured.

    Austin waved his hand dismissively. "You don''t need to know too much. Just do as I say."

    "I don''t know if you''re pathetic or just plain stupid. A terrifying secret was right before you, yet you chose to stay silent."

    "If I had arrived here at the same time as you, do you think you''d still be standing here today?"

    "How long do you think that kid can keep his secret hidden?"

    "Today, I''ll show you how easily a true king can handle this situation."

    Hearing this, Caleb simply shook his head with a chuckle before sitting down on the ground. Smiling, he said, "Austin, I know you''re very confident. In that case, I''ll wait here."

    "...What do you mean?" Austin frowned, his gaze turning sharp with a hint of killing intent as he looked at Caleb.

    However, Caleb seemed unbothered by his expression. He simply smiled faintly and said, "If you can extract the secret from Noan or even eliminate him, I won''t just hand over all my resources to you—I''ll even willingly become your slave."

    Austin''s expression immediately darkened with suspicion. A thought crossed his mind: Could there be a reason why Caleb failed to uncover that kid''s secret?

    Or... is Caleb just trying to scare me?

    Despite his doubts, Austin decided to believe that Caleb was merely bluffing.

    After all, before moving, he had already gathered extensive intelligence. He knew that Noan was merely an F-rank Lord.

    Following their previous conflict, Noan had retreated into his territory, never stepping outside.

    "Motherf—!" One of the young men cursed. "Who does he think he is?"

    "Enough," a woman interjected. "We should figure out how to join Austin''s group."

    "That''s right. You all saw Austin''s strength for yourselves. He has a Rank D-Peak hero—Caleb is no match for him."

    "Tsk! If I had known this day would come, I would have joined Austin much sooner."

    "Well, it''s not like we''ve missed our chance. We''re all Rank E Lords—Austin will definitely accept us."

    "But... something feels off. Why does Caleb believe Noan could pose a threat to Austin?"

    "Are you stupid? He''s just trying to scare Austin. If Austin actually manages to extract that kid''s secret, he''ll become unstoppable."

    "Exactly! He''ll have the strongest power in this region and the ability to bring in food and medicine from the outside."

    "Ugh! I''m starting to regret ever serving that bastard."

    ...

    Of course, Caleb didn''t care about the murmurs behind his back. He only cared about one thing.

    Between Noan and Austin, who would win?

    As he neared Noan''s territory, he gestured for his Stone Golem to hide before climbing up a tall tree to get a better view.

    In the distance, Austin''s voice rang out loudly: "I know you''re inside. I''ll give you ten seconds. If you don''t come out, I''ll destroy your territory and turn you into my slave."

    Silence...

    Not a single response came after Austin''s words as if Noan''s domain was completely deserted.

    "Tsk!" Austin clicked his tongue in annoyance and began counting.

    "10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2..."

    "You have one last chance, Noan. Don''t make me angry, or the consequences will be devastating."

    Silence was the only reply.

    "Motherf—!" Austin swore in frustration. "Break down the door and drag that bastard out here!"

    "Leave it to me, boss!" A young man grinned as he led a unicorn forward. "When it comes to breaking structures, my unicorn is a professional!"

    "Hurry up!" Austin snapped, not in the mood for pointless chatter.

    The young man flinched and quickly commanded his unicorn to charge at the wooden gate.

    However...

    BAM!