A massive shadow loomed over the heads of all present. Winnie looked up to see a fearsome black dragon, its wings outspread, standing behind them.

"My lord, you've arrived!" Shadar managed to stand, despite feeling as if his bones were shattered from Kruk's powerful Iron Hoof Stomp.

"A dragon? Shadar, you actually worship a black dragon!" Winnie exclaimed.

Kruk and the other minotaurs prepared for a potential threat, eyeing Saron, the dragon, with caution. This black dragon exuded a might too formidable to ignore, and his appearance was somewhat different from the typical black dragons they had heard of in tales.

Meanwhile, Saron's gaze was fixed on Winnie in the distance. A catgirl with beast ears—his dormant otaku heart seemed to reawaken. Her perfect figure, the blue-purple eyes, long purple hair flowing down to her waist like silk, that delicate face, and the two black cat ears on her head. Not to mention the tail that swished behind her! And to Saron's surprise, she was dressed in what resembled black stockings, which stirred something within him.

Noticing the dragon's unwavering gaze on Winnie, Kruk instinctively stepped in front of her to shield her. There were legends of chromatic dragons preying on beautiful maidens; surely this black dragon wasn't contemplating such a thing!

Saron shifted his attention back to the other half-orcs, reminding himself that he was not a dragon to lose his wits over base desires, but the carnal nature of dragons was difficult to suppress.

"What do you want from us, black dragon?" Kruk challenged, aware that a dragon of Saron's size and bearing was not to be underestimated.

"You invade my territory, injure my kin, and then ask me what I want?" Saron's voice rumbled as he looked down upon Kruk with a domineering gaze.

"Great black dragon, we truly had no intention of trespassing. We were forced into this situation..." Winnie stepped out from behind Kruk, addressing the dragon directly.

"I don't care about your reasons; the fact is you've trespassed," Saron bellowed, his maw wide open, displaying a fearsome array of sharp teeth as he unabashedly unleashed his dragon's might. An overwhelming sense of oppression washed over every creature nearby, as if a great weight had settled upon their hearts.

"Black dragon, must you truly be our enemy? With so many warriors here, and you've yet to reach adulthood—if it really comes to a fight, you will surely die!" Kruk declared. No one sought a battle with a black dragon without cause, especially when there was nothing to gain.

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Saron surveyed Kruk's well-armed minotaur fighters. They were indeed formidable. A typical young black dragon might actually fall if it came to a life-and-death struggle with these foes. But Saron was no ordinary black dragon; his power surpassed any young red dragon.

"It seems a lesson is in order," Saron retorted, undeterred by Kruk's threat. If he were to be intimidated so easily, his formidable size would be for naught. If not for his desire to gather more followers, he might have already slain these interlopers and taken the cat-eared maiden for himself.

"Everyone, be careful and prepare to attack!" Kruk ordered decisively.

Winnie, meanwhile, began to fade, her form becoming transparent before vanishing entirely into the surrounding air.

"Lord Saron, beware of ambushes. The female half-orc can hide herself within the space around her!" Shadar warned loudly. Many of their warriors had been felled by such tactics.

Saron cast a curious glance toward the spot where the catgirl had disappeared. Her hiding was impressively thorough. Ignoring that for the moment, he focused on the minotaur warriors before him.

"Shadar, hold back; let me handle this," Saron instructed, stopping Shadar and the others from joining the fight. The miners were hard won, and he did not wish to lose them here.

"Kill!"

Kruk, hefting his dual-bladed axe, leapt high into the air, presenting a large target that Saron couldn't ignore. With a flick of his tail, Saron sent Kruk flying, who screamed as he crashed to the ground, saved from more serious harm by his fellow minotaurs who caught him. Still, several of Kruk's bones were broken, but he stubbornly stood up again.

"Is this the strength of a dragon? Everyone, together!" Kruk rallied his troops without hesitation, commanding all the elite warriors of the Iron Hoof tribe to unleash their stomp.

As the ground shook with the thunderous stomping of countless minotaurs, shockwaves rolled towards Saron. And at his neck, a dark silhouette suddenly appeared—it was Winnie, aiming to restrain Saron and prevent his escape into the air. Her hands, armed with claw-shaped weapons, slashed towards Saron's eyes.

"Is this it?" Saron said, disappointed. He could have easily taken to the skies to avoid the minotaurs' assault, and he wasn't concerned about Winnie's attack. It was a perfect opportunity to test the hardness of his newly enhanced scales.

With a flash of red in his eyes, Saron casually tossed his head and sent Winnie flying with a thud. His eye defenses were as sturdy as his scales, thanks to his double eyelids, and his ocular crystals, though soft, were as tough as any part of his armored body. Winnie spat out blood and hurriedly vanished once more into the shadows. A natural assassin indeed!

Saron turned his attention away from the little cat; after all, no matter how many cats there were, they were still just cats, and therefore harmless to him.

"Winnie!!" Kruk glanced at Winnie before yelling, "Everyone, keep attacking!"

As they regrouped for another charge, Saron uttered a single word, "Shatter!" Instantly, spikes burst from the ground within a thirty-meter radius, turning the soil treacherous and trapping the minotaurs with a force that impeded their escape, leaving them to be skewered by the deadly protrusions.

The sound of flesh being pierced was gruesome, and a few minotaurs were impaled, their bodies resembling pincushions as they lost all signs of life. Blood painted the scene with horror.

"No!" Kruk's eyes turned bloodshot at the sight of his tribe's elite falling. In just a moment, seven or eight warriors had been lost.

"Double Iron Hoof Stomp!" Kruk unleashed his most powerful attack, charging forward once more with his axe raised high.

"Air Cleaver!" Saron was sure of his advantage now. The Iron Hoof Stomp might be meant for breaching defenses or clearing lowly troops, but it seemed ineffective against him.

With a roar, Saron unleashed a Primal Scream. Suddenly, every minotaur and troll warrior around felt their magical energy churning wildly, beyond their control. Winnie, forced out of her stealth due to the chaos of magic within her, was still bewildered when Saron snatched her from the air with his claw.

"Little kitten, I've got you now!" Saron held Winnie up to his eyes for a closer look.

"How is this possible?" Winnie was in disbelief. She belonged to the Shadow Cat clan, capable of perfectly concealing herself in the surrounding space with her magic—her heartbeat, scent, and body heat all hidden unless she attacked. But the dragon's roar had just made her magic go haywire, forcing her out of stealth. It was as if he was her natural predator.