Ogar's eyes darkened. With a single hand, he shoved the knight away with such immense power that the man coughed up blood as he crashed to the ground.
The dagger was still lodged in Ogar, but he gritted his teeth and yanked it out from his back, knowing that leaving it in would only cause more pain.
"Aaargh!" he shouted, glaring fiercely at the king.
"You started this," Ogar growled.
He took a step toward the king—and in an instant, his body shifted, transforming into a massive werewolf.
A massive black-furred werewolf stood before them, his red eyes glowing with a terrifying intensity. His sheer presence was enough to make anyone tremble.
But the situation had taken an unexpected turn. To the tiger clan king, Ogar's arrival was effectively a declaration of war.
And having already been captivated by Ceres's beauty, the king was determined not to let him go—he was ready to fight Ogar to claim Ceres for himself.
The king glared at Ogar, and in the next second, he shifted into his true form—a massive tiger, his back covered with scars from countless battles.
Those marks showed his experience, but scars alone didn't mean he could defeat Ogar.
In a flash, the tiger king lunged at him, but Ogar's claws struck first, slashing across the king's side and leaving blood dripping from the wound.
Enraged, the king roared and threw himself at Ogar with all his strength, jaws open wide to kill. But before he could strike, a commanding voice thundered through the hall.
"What is happening here?"
Everyone froze, even Ogar and the king, as they turned toward the newcomer.
A towering figure entered—light brown hair with golden highlights, tiger ears perched atop his head, and a long, thin tail swaying behind him.
His skin was milky white, his jaw sharp, and his body powerfully built—muscles rippling beneath his clothes. He was even a little larger than Ogar's human form.
This was Lian, the king's heir. Unlike his father, he had never taken interest in omegas, always claiming they used their bodies to seduce for profit. He vowed never to mate without love.
"What is happening here?" Lian repeated, his gaze shifting between his father and Ogar.
Seeing the wound on his father, he stepped between them, forcing them apart.
"Can you both stop? Tell me why you're fighting. This will ruin both our people," Lian said, his voice steady and full of truth.
His words made Ogar shift back into his human form, despite the deep wound on his body. The king, too, returned to human form.
Ogar's eyes darted to the wall. He thought about breaking it down, but then he spotted a passage leading behind it. Without hesitation, he followed the path.
"No! He can't take that omega! I want him!" the king shouted, but when Lian's piercing gaze landed on him, he fell silent.
Behind the wall, Ogar found Ceres locked inside a cage, a cloth stuffed in his mouth to keep him quiet.
Fury ignited within him. Ogar struck down the guards with ease, then broke the cage and freed Ceres.
Ceres rushed to him, worry etched on his face. "Ogar, are you alright?" he asked, gripping Ogar's hand.
Despite his injuries, Ogar smiled, warmed by Ceres's concern. They emerged from behind the wall together.
Lian's eyes immediately fell on Ceres. For a moment, the usually cold heir stared without blinking. Ogar noticed it instantly.
"We are leaving," Ogar growled. "If you dare kidnap my mate again, it will end in war."
With Ceres supporting him, they began to walk away. Ceres's smaller frame seemed too light to hold Ogar up, but in truth, it wasn't difficult for him. Still, Ogar's eyes stayed locked on Lian, wary of the heir's interest in Ceres.
Once outside, Ogar suddenly pulled away and shifted back into his werewolf form.
"Come on—hop on."
Ceres's eyes widened. "Are you out of your mind? How can I sit on an injured person? Do you really want to die, you idiot?"
Flinching, Ogar shifted back into human form, but his face was pale, lips drying rapidly.
"Ogar… you don't look good. Was that dagger poisoned?" Ceres whispered, panic rising.
They had already crossed out of tiger clans territory when Ceres carefully helped him sit under a tree. His heart pounded—he didn't know what to do.
Then, he heard giggles.
Ceres flinched, eyes darting around. "Who's there?"
[ "Come on, don't be so scared, cat."]
Ceres's gaze snapped upward—and froze. A small gray hamster floated in the air above him, wearing glasses, looking nothing like a normal animal.
He quickly checked Ogar, kneeling beside him. Ogar's eyes were shut, but his breathing and heartbeat were steady—though his body was growing cold.
"Ogar, man, you can't die like this!" Ceres said, gripping his hand tightly.
"He isn't dead," the hamster replied calmly. "I just made him unconscious. I want to talk to you."
Ceres's head jerked up, eyes wide. He even rubbed them, not believing what he was seeing. A hamster was floating—and talking.
"Who are you? Since when can hamsters fly and talk in this era?"
"No, my dear host. I am a system. I've come to assist you. Let me explain."
The hamster puffed its chest proudly. "I summoned you here to complete a mission. Once you finish all your missions, I'll send you back home."
It expected Ceres to be happy, but instead, Ceres glared so fiercely it felt like he might kill him on the spot.
"So, you little hamster summoned me here right after my heartbreak? And what am I supposed to do when I'm not even the main character?"
"Right—you're not. But you'll have to win over three male leads to complete this dimension's mission."
Ceres rose to his feet, smiling gently. The hamster relaxed for a second—until Ceres snatched him up and crushed him in his fist.
"Nooo! Please, let me go!" the hamster squealed, slipping free and scrambling away.
The hamster scurried back a little, still staring at Ceres with wide eyes.
"You're so mean! How could you even try to kill me? I'm such a cute hamster!" it squeaked.
But Ceres only continued to glare at the little creature, clearly unimpressed.