The golem was already on top of them. Dale knew—without a sliver of doubt—that he couldn't deal with it. And if even he couldn't withstand it, then Lyss certainly wouldn't last a moment.

Dale came from a low noble house whose strength had long since become negligible. The first patriarch had once been a powerful Beast Master who established the family, but he had not been distinguished enough to be granted a surname by the Emperor. And as fate mocked them, after that patriarch, no one in the bloodline awakened a Beast Taming ability again. The house stagnated, propped up solely by the lingering prestige and strength of its founder. With humanity's extended lifespans, people believed the family would endure until another successor emerged.

But on one mission, the patriarch died. His death cracked the foundation, and the greedy relatives swarmed like vultures, plundering whatever resources the house possessed before letting it wither away.

Dale's father—one of the patriarch's direct-line successors—fell into despair and took his own life, leaving behind his pregnant wife. Yet as if the world took pleasure in cruelty, Dale's mother also died in childbirth, leaving him an orphan from the very moment he entered the world.

Still, as the rightful successor, the head butler ensured he was raised well… until that day.

Dale had been betrothed to a girl—his childhood friend—from another prominent family, a political marriage arranged to revive their declining house. But only months ago, at their marriage ceremony, he discovered his fiancée engaged in an indecent act with one of his cousins. And of course, due to familial pressure, he was told to forget the incident and proceed with the wedding.

Devastated, he attempted to end his suffering. But at the edge of death, a sigil ignited before his chest—radiant, shocking, impossible to ignore. When he regained consciousness, he realised he had awakened a Beast Taming talent.

By then, every inner and core city had the equipment to test new talents. When he got himself evaluated, the results shook the entire city: he was a rare dual-talent awakener, possessing an auxiliary ability linked to his primary Beast Taming skill—Reinforcement Sync, which granted him 20% of his tamed beasts' base stats. Coupled with a Rare Soul Rank, his future surged open before him. He finally had the strength to revive his family—alone.

When the other family heard this, they tried to push the marriage forward immediately. But now, the balance had shifted—he held the authority. Even if his own family exiled him for refusing, he could establish a new house with his talent.

When word spread that he refused the marriage and publicly revealed their daughter's betrayal, her family forced her to apologise.

But to Dale, an apology meant nothing. Or perhaps… he had already erased her from his heart.

The girl, in her defence, sobbed that she only sought comfort when Dale had been "inadequate"—but now she regretted it, now she was willing to bow her head, to beg. Dale watched her cry, listened to her family's harsh scolding. He observed her reaction, then studied his cousin, whose head hung in shame—and finally, he witnessed their private, explosive fight.

Something inside him twisted that day. Or perhaps it finally surfaced.

He enjoyed watching their bond break.

So he sought more. He wandered the town, looking for an opportunity. He found a young couple—clearly new, inexperienced, clumsy in their affection. With subtle provocations, he nudged their insecurities, stoked suspicion until they broke apart. Then he approached the heartbroken girl to "console" her.

It was then he realised his kink. His coping mechanism. His way of reclaiming control over his pain.

That girl was Lyss, the first in his growing collection. From then on, he gathered more, only targeting couples whose bonds seemed shallow or fake, following his own twisted principle. Eventually, he had five girls… and was even offered Lily.

But he backed off immediately. Something about Lily screamed danger—he might die if he tried.

And now, ironically, he was on the brink of death because of his own pursuit… beneath the crushing shadow of a golem.

---

"L-Lyss… I'm sorry…" Dale began, his voice thin and ragged.

Lyss—still hurling water blades in rapid volleys, each one slicing through the air with a sharp shing—turned her head in confusion. Sweat dripped down her temples, plastering strands of hair to her cheek as she struggled to keep the golem at bay. Her breaths came fast and uneven.

"What are you talking about, Master? Escape quickly!" she urged, panic tightening her voice.

Dale staggered a step forward, his legs trembling as if barely remembering how to hold his weight. His right fist flickered with a deep brownish hue—the glow of his skill [Rock Fist]—the earthen energy crackling like grit grinding against stone.

"I… never told you this before," he said, coughing hard, the sound wet and painful. "But I was the one who… made you break up with your previous partner. I'm sorry."

Lyss froze for a heartbeat. Her next water blade faltered, splashing into the dirt instead of flying true. The memory hit her, her eyes widening slightly as recognition surfaced.

"Master… now that I think about it, that fellow was already cheating on me. I just chose to ignore it." Her lips curved faintly, a soft, genuine smile breaking through the strain on her face. "But when he was stirred, he showed his true colours. So, in truth… I'm thankful that you intervened."

The sincerity in her tone made Dale's heart throb painfully, a small warmth cutting through the cold dread gnawing at his spine.

But he still shook his head.

"If you're talking about cheating… I'm involved with five girls. What would you call that then?"

Lyss's cheeks flushed a light pink despite the looming doom of the golem's shadow stretching toward them.

"But I—no, we—allowed it, didn't we? I really… like my sisters." For just a moment, disaster seemed to blur into the background for her. Her voice softened, almost shy. "And… it's not like you don't love me…"

Dale blinked, taken aback, his eyes widening. He had never once considered that his girls harboured feelings that deep—that real. Somehow, that seemed to fill in an empty pot in him with warm water.

But the fleeting warmth was crushed the next instant.

The ground trembled. The golem's massive remaining stone limb slammed down beside him with a thunderous crack, spraying dust and pebbles. It reached Dale, towering over him like a collapsing mountain. He tried to activate his skill again—desperately—but the pulse of energy sputtered, failing completely.

In that moment, he turned toward Lyss. And he smiled—soft, regretful, almost apologetic.

Then he looked back at the others.

Enra and Nira were nearly collapsed, knees trembling, tears streaking their cheeks as they watched Dale with helpless grief etched into their expressions. He could see their hands reaching out, fingers shaking, unable to cross the distance.

As painful as it was, he forced himself to look toward Rys as well. She was crumpled on the ground, curled tightly, barely conscious.

But then—his eyes widened sharply.

"W-what is that…?" he breathed.

Hovering above Rys was a creature—no taller than two feet—its body a compact form of brownish bark-like texture, wrapped in coiling vines and broad, velvety leaves. A mane of bright crimson leafy hair glowed like embers in the gloom. Its little feet didn't touch the ground as it floated gently, and from its outstretched arm, a faint, pulsing green light spread outward like ripples across water.

He also noticed one other thing—the golem's arm still hadn't crashed down.

Slowly, almost mechanically, Dale lifted his head. His vision swam, one eye bloodshot and stinging, the other heavy with exhaustion. Both widened as the scene came into focus.

A massive, raven-black paw—nearly as long as Dale's entire shoulder span—was buried deep inside the golem's cracked chest. The paw had punched straight through stone, ripping a brutal tunnel through the creature's core. In its grip, clamped between glossy, razor-sharp claws that gleamed with a cold metallic lustre, was the golem's white, violently pulsing core.

The claws were so effortlessly tight that Dale had no doubt—It could tear him clean in half.

The moment the paw withdrew, it left behind a gaping, cavernous hole in the golem's torso. The once-towering five-meter giant looked like a fallen war soldier—its head blasted off, one arm reduced to rubble, its chest cracked in spiderweb fissures, and dozens of impact marks carved across its rocky frame. Even in its stillness, it commanded a strange sort of respect.

And then the core was removed.

The golem's entire blocky structure began collapsing like disassembled bricks. Stone segments fell in heavy chunks, shattering upon the ground with deafening thuds. Dust plumed upward. Bits of gravel skittered across the earth. The amount of damage it had endured was staggering.

When the last of the rubble crashed down, the figure responsible stood revealed.

Dale and the girls stiffened instantly—every hair on their bodies rising. A chilling shiver ran down their spines.

---

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