"Wait… don't tell me..."
Through the vision Edith provided, Duke noticed the lion nimbly dodging the beams. His brow twitched slightly. With a snap of his fingers, he remotely shut down Jinx's weapon.
Jinx, who had been completely absorbed in the excitement of trying out her new toy, suddenly felt it go silent in her hands.
"Huh?!"
"Duke! My Boom-Boom broke!"
"Don't talk like Neeko!" Duke rolled his eyes. "And seriously? I gave that to you five minutes ago and you already named it?"
"Also, someone's in the jungle. That's why I shut it down remotely."
"Ugh!!" Jinx groaned in frustration. "How could you! You actually installed a kill-switch in my gear?"
"That's for everyone else's safety," Duke said flatly. "With your personality? Who knows how many people would've ended up as collateral damage?"
He got up from the ground and brushed grass off his coat. Thanks to Edith's vision, he saw that the lion who'd been dodging beams earlier had now stopped and was glancing cautiously in their direction.
Zzzt!
Suddenly, Edith's field of vision warped — the lion rose on its hind legs and transformed into a lithe, agile humanoid figure, still peering toward them.
In the Jungle—
Nidalee scanned the devastation around her, anger boiling in her chest. Just as she'd feared — these intruders had to be expelled. They were desecrating the jungle, violating every law of nature.
As one blessed by the Spirit of the Forest Cat, she had always been one with the wild — a guardian and an executor of nature's will.
Watching her homeland be so shamelessly torn apart, Nidalee bared her teeth.
"Damn bastards!"
But as a seasoned predator — an apex huntress — she knew to stay calm. Rage was a liability.
Taking a few steadying breaths, she crept closer to the jungle's edge.
Using the darkness and underbrush to hide her form, she continued to observe the strangers at the camp. Her mind whirred with options: how best to drive them out... or perhaps, ensure they never left — becoming one with the jungle forever.
Then, something startled her.
The young man among them — the one the other vastayan lionfolk had spoken of with reverence — was looking right at her.
She instinctively shifted position, but no matter where she moved, his eyes followed.
He sees me!
Nidalee's instincts screamed. She leapt backward and shifted into lion form, intending to retreat into the forest.
Back at the camp, Duke removed Edith from his face and massaged his brow.
"So we've been spotted. Quick reflexes, I'll give her that."
Pride, standing by and awaiting Duke's command, already knew how his father would respond. He understood Duke's nature well — anything that sparked his curiosity... would inevitably be captured and studied.
"Go get her."
With a wave, Duke gave the order. Pride immediately shifted into his motorcycle form and tore into the jungle.
Jinx stomped over, sulking and still holding her deactivated weapon.
Arms crossed, she stared at Duke silently — clearly unwilling to budge until he removed the remote override or at least unlocked the weapon.
"Don't look at me like that," Duke said, ruffling her hair. "This is for everyone's safety — and you know exactly what you're like."
"Now go get some rest. It's getting late."
"Hmph."
Jinx huffed, unmoved. Duke didn't press the issue and quietly waited for Pride to return.
VROOOM!
A heavy engine roar echoed through the jungle.
In motorcycle form, Pride bulldozed through the dense forest terrain. No matter what was in his way — thick vines, massive shrubs — he flattened it all without pause.
Only one target remained:
The little cat fleeing ahead.
With another roar of the engine, Pride turned on his floodlights, illuminating the path and blasting obstacles apart with his weaponry.
"Persistent little thing..."
Nidalee suddenly climbed a tree, cloaking herself within its leaves. She no longer intended to flee.
Back in human form, she gripped her spear tightly and locked eyes on the strange mechanical beast below.
When Pride entered her strike zone, she hurled her spear with lethal precision — slicing through the air, straight for her target.
Pride instantly shifted into combat form. He caught the spear with one hand and, with a faint flex of his fingers, snapped it in two, steam venting from his body.
"Foolish little kitten."
"RRAWR!"
With a wild roar, Nidalee dove from the tree. Mid-air, she transformed again into her beast form and lunged, claws aimed at Pride's throat.
But he didn't even move.
Her claws struck his armor — and didn't even scratch it.
Instead, the impact reverberated up her forearms, making her wince in pain. Still, she didn't hesitate. Fangs bared, she went for his neck — only to have him grab her throat mid-lunge.
"Enough games, little kitty."
"RAAAHHH!!"
Nidalee thrashed and clawed, but Pride let out a cold snort and summoned crystal restraints to bind her completely.
Then he turned and headed back to camp.
Moments later, Pride returned, carrying the restrained lioness in one hand.
Her eyes glowed with untamed wildness, her ears pinned back, and low growls rumbled from her throat.
"Hmph..."
Seeing her so feral even in captivity, Duke smacked his lips.
"That's one feisty cat."
"Put her down."
After Pride obeyed, Duke crouched slightly to meet her emerald gaze.
"I know you can shift between human and beast. Why don't we have a civilized conversation?"
Encased in crystal, Nidalee's body glowed faintly with magic as she returned to her human form — but her glare was anything but human.
"I've got nothing to say to you, human."
Her voice was low and full of venom.
"You'd better leave. This is my territory. You're not welcome here."
Around them, the camp fell silent — then suddenly erupted with laughter.
"Listen to her!"
"That's hilarious!"
"She wants us to leave?"
"What's she gonna do? Turn into a kitty and meow us out?"
"Hahaha!"
"Hah—"
The laughter died instantly when Duke raised a hand.
His reputation and power silenced even the rowdiest among them. Everyone stepped back, giving him the space to speak.
"We never intended to stay long," Duke said calmly. "In fact, we're leaving tomorrow."
"I don't believe you," Nidalee spat. "Either you go... or you die."
"Look around," Duke said, opening his arms. "You'll see you're not in a position to make demands... lovely as you are."
"A beast doesn't fall into the same trap twice."
There was no pretense in her tone — no false politeness. Nidalee was exactly what she appeared to be: pure instinct and primal truth.
Raised by lions and blessed by the forest spirit, she had never seen herself as human.
She never played by human rules.
"You realize I could kill you right now, don't you?" Duke asked.
"Wild beasts don't fear death."
Still, her defiance surprised him.
This woman — this huntress — was unlike any of the heroines he'd encountered before.
Camille? She'd press her leg-blade to your throat first, and let you speak later.
Caitlyn? She'd talk you into a trap using nothing but logic and charm.
Vi? She'd just punch first — and maybe talk after.
Miss Fortune and Elise? Masters of both word and beauty, they could manipulate with ease.
Even Illaoi?
She'd teach you with fists the size of millstones.
But Nidalee? She was something else.
Even Neeko, a full-blooded Vastaya, wasn't this... wild.
"Yep... upbringing really does shape people," Duke muttered, looking her over again.
Releasing her was out of the question. Letting a hunter like her return to the jungle was like releasing a tiger into a nursery.
Her eyes gleamed with lethal intent. If they let her go, they'd all be in danger.
This was likely her first time dealing with humans — not just Vastaya. She hadn't learned what "manners" meant.
To her, giving you a warning and time to run was mercy enough.
Duke tilted his head.
"So... how exactly do you tame a wild cat?"
"Asking for a friend — kind of urgent."
(End of chapter)
We're still in the early chapters fam! and to everyone who's joined the Patreon, thank you so much! 🙏Your support truly means the world. You're the reason this story keeps growing, chapter by chapter, world by world. I promise to give it my all! more content, more depth, more epic moments, to make sure your support is always worth it. You're part of the foundation that keeps this universe alive.
🔹 Hexcore Initiate – 15 chapters ahead
🔸 Arc Reactor Elite – 35 chapters
👉 patreon.com/MrBehringer