The Golem Mage

#Second Dimension

In the second dimension controlled by the War God Mage Academy, something was silently brewing within the mid regions.

These mid regions, which are largely dominated by Orc cities and demonic beasts that either served under an Overlord or was an immensely powerful beast, had begun to witness quiet but deadly clashes behind the scenes.

And all of this started not long after Alec's departure—driven, perhaps, by someone who didn't take kindly to the way he had been hunted.

Among the inhabitants of the mid regions, the Hyena packs weren't considered one of the strongest groups.

However, they compensated with numbers and their infamous hunting coordination, making them one of the most avoided demonic beasts, both by human mages and other demonic beasts alike.

Still, despite their numbers, there were certain creatures even the Hyenas dared not provoke, and top among that list were the lion-type demonic beasts, it was common knowledge that all lion-type beasts were under the dominion of the Snow-Furred Lion Overlord, giving them a powerful backing.

This emboldened even the lesser lions in the mid regions to act aggressively, sometimes even toward stronger opponents.

Because of that backing, the Hyenas—which were long standing rivals of the lions—chose to avoid them in the mid regions altogether, this unspoken rule had held for a long time… until now.

A new leader had risen within the Hyena pack—and she held a personal grudge, she blamed the lions for keeping her from the one she had marked as her destined mate, on the day Alec and his brothers were hunted by the lion pride under the Snow Lion Overlord, she had watched from a hidden perch, her teeth clenched in frustration.

Though Alec had survived, however her hatred for the lions had deepened, and while she knew she stood no chance against the true high ranks of the lion race—especially not the overlord himself—she had turned her attention elsewhere.

Now, she worked in silence, steadily and methodically erasing every lion she could find within the mid regions, her vengeance unfolding quietly in the shadows.

–

A group of five female lions roared in defiance as a swarm of Hyenas surrounded them, but their roar was only met with unsettling laughter that echoed from every corner of the gathering pack.

These lionesses were the hunters of their pride, responsible for gathering spoils and taking them back to the males—the family heads of their mini pride, which is all connected to the Snow-Furred Lion Overlord, their duty was sacred, and their pride's structure was a direct extension of the overlord's rule.

The lioness at the front narrowed her gaze at the Hyena with a long scar running down his left eye, her voice was steady, laced with both warning and pride.

"Scar, I don't think you understand the repercussions of what you're doing. The lions will come down on your little savannah pack with fury when they find out you dared to attack us."

Though she wasn't afraid to fight one or two of them alone. However, the overwhelming number surrounding them now made it a fight they couldn't win. Still, she hoped the reputation of the lions with their powerful elites would be enough to scare Scar off. After all, he was widely known as the leader of the Savannah Pack, which is the most organized Hyena group in the mid-regions.

However Scar remained silent, simply stepping aside.

In his place, a larger Hyena with a attractive presence stepped forward, she moved with calm confidence as she spoke.

"Sorry to interrupt, but you've been talking to the wrong person, as for me, you can call me Scarlett—and I'm the new matriarch of all the Hyenas in the mid-regions."

The lionesses blinked, startled, their eyes moved from Scar to Scarlett in disbelief.

It wasn't surprising for leadership to change among beast packs, but what shocked them was how even Scar—a peak Tier 6 expert stood respectfully to the side.

Clearly, this takeover hadn't just happened, it had already settled in quietly and this new leader was also able to subdue the old one to such an extent which spoke volumes of her methods .

That realization made the lead lioness's blood run cold.

The Hyenas which are infamous for their dangerous pack tactics and long list of grudges had already crowned a new ruler.

And yet, none of the major powers in the mid-regions knew.

It felt like she had just stumbled onto a secret she was never meant to hear.

"But why are you after us lions? You lot have avoided us for so long because we have an Overlord, and as long as you don't disturb us or come for our prey, we've never bothered with whatever you do," the lead lioness said, trying to reason with Scarlett.

But the Hyena Matriarch only laughed—a wild, high-pitched sound that echoed with madness.

"Oh, my darling, that era is gone. Now it's my era," Scarlett cooed, swaying her hips with exaggerated delight.

"Honestly, your kind terrifies me, and I wouldn't want any trouble with you... but I found out my mate finally entered the forest after so long. I've missed him terribly."

She spun in a circle with a dreamy expression, her tail twitching in excitement at the mention of Alec.

"But when I tried to see him, your proud, furry-faced males, those ones with the ridiculous manes were chasing him."

Her gaze sharpened, and the sweetness in her voice vanished.

"So, my reunion was ruined… and now I'm taking out my anger on you, since I can't go after your king, I'll just hunt down every last lioness in the middle regions, that way, your lazy males will be forced to come out and hunt for themselves—then we'll chase and kill them all."

The smile on her muzzle stretched wide and cruel, showing too many teeth for comfort.

The Tier 6 lioness could take no more, fury boiled within her, and with a thunderous roar, she lunged straight at Scarlett—who had been arrogantly pacing around them as she laid out her wicked plan.

She twisted mid-leap, jaws wide open, aiming to sink her fangs into the back of the Hyena Matriarch's neck.

A killing blow. If she landed it, the other lionesses might have a chance to escape in the chaos, the Hyenas would panic for their leader, giving her pride a fighting chance to escape as she sent them a mental message to take the chance to do so.

But just before her jaws connected, Scarlett lifted her head.

That cold, calculating gaze met hers, and the lioness's instincts screamed, however it was too late to stop now—she was fully committed to the strike, even as dread settled deep in her gut.

However, her desperate attempt to rescue a few of her kin—to ensure news of the Hyena Matriarch's uprising could spread, failed miserably.

The moment she got close enough, her body was locked mid-air as a thin purple light wrapped around her like a cocoon.

Fear instantly replaced the rage in her eyes as she stared at the Hyena before her.

"A mere low Tier 6 demonic beast dares to challenge me head-on? I admire your courage," the Matriarch said, tilting her head with a calm menace.

"But bravado alone won't be enough to let your family escape my grasp."

With that, the lioness's body which was suspended in mid air and helpless was abruptly yanked down by an invisible force, crashing hard to the ground at the Matriarch's feet, she struggled to move, but the pressure locking her limbs in place was absolute.

The harder she fought it, the more the Matriarch's eyes gleamed in quiet amusement.

"Let me send you on your way now," Scarlett said coldly, raising her right paw. This chapter was made possible by the community at MV|LEM|PYR.

With a soft click, her claws extended and with them, a current of wind twisted toward her paw, enveloping her claws in a spiralling gust that shaped them into five wind-forged daggers, they glinted menacingly under the dual sun in the skies.

Then, with terrifying ease, she brought her claws down—slicing through the lioness's head in one clean motion, the sound of impact echoed, and the remaining lionesses flinched in horror.

Their strongest had fallen… and she hadn't even been able to resist the attack.

Up till now they still couldn't understand how the Matriarch had immobilized their leader, but one thing was now certain—this wasn't a fair battle, it was an execution.

"The rest are for you. Feast to your hearts' content," Scarlett announced casually as she walked away.

As soon as their leader turned her back, the Hyenas cackled, wild and unrestrained.

Their restrained demeanour vanished as they pounced on the remaining lionesses, though the lionesses fought back, however their resistance was crushed under the sheer numbers, one by one, they were torn to pieces, shredded beneath claws and teeth while the Matriarch didn't bother to look back.