The threat wasn't empty posturing or intimidation; it was a simple statement of fact delivered with the certainty of someone who had left trails of destruction across multiple regions.
The Golden Mane responded exactly as Arthur had expected from a creature drunk on wounded pride and aggression. The beast's throat swelled as he unleashed a roar that shook leaves from nearby branches, the sound carrying enough force to make the Golden Beetle instinctively step backwards.
The roar shook the trees around them, causing monsters kilometres away to flee in panic, scattering in all directions.
The golden mane was a powerful, superior-rank creature; it wasn't at the bottom of the food chain in the rank. It was most definitely near the top.
The roar was clearly intended as both challenge and intimidation—a declaration that this particular Golden Mane feared nothing and would bow to no intruder, regardless of their reputation or demonstrated power.
