Hera.
This woman possessed an absolutely beast-like way of thinking.
In the society of jungle predators, the strong were naturally the objects of worship.
And Hera had twisted this mindset to the extreme.
Only males stronger than herself could catch Hera's interest.
Hera's obsession with strength had a very simple reason, she wanted a child.
From a very early age, Hera had formed such a thought, she must find a being of extremely great power, and let his seed completely merge with her.
Even, as long as he was strong enough, the object she sought didn't have to be human at all.
Because she herself was not human.
The City of Adventurers frequently saw all kinds of powerful adventurers come and go.
And the reason she established the Beast Guild here was precisely to discover a male whose strength was great enough to surpass her own.
Including her ventures into monster rifts and explorations of the abyss, all of it was to search for male monsters who might be stronger than her and capable of communicating with her.
This was also why, after the eldest prince informed her that an exceptionally powerful monster had appeared in the monster rift, she immediately, without hesitation, organized a team and rushed over.
She did indeed see a powerful monster.
But she also saw a man even more outstanding than that monster.
Viktor Clavenna.
As long as she could obtain this man's seed, she would surely give birth to the most exceptional offspring.
But...
"You're not worthy."
That mercilessly cold voice echoed softly across the land.
The surrounding adventurers all froze in place, their mouths open as they stared at Viktor.
Hera was among them as well.
The dark gray heart-shaped patterns in her eyes began to shatter. A flower bud broke through the cracked heart, remaining at the bottom of her gaze.
She stared blankly at Viktor, even her voice trembling slightly.
Perhaps because her first confession had been rejected on the spot, making it hard for her to accept.
"What… do you mean?"
Viktor tossed out a single sentence, shattering Hera's final illusion. "Exactly what it says."
Hera was not human. She constantly followed a beast-like mode of action, and her understanding of the world was no different from that of a beast.
Powerful beasts would watch their offspring kill each other, leaving only the strongest survivor to be nurtured.
This ensured the excellence of their bloodline, continuously breeding superior next generations through ruthless selection.
She herself had been born in such an environment.
As a member of the [Beasts], Hera had killed all her siblings from a very young age, just to prove that her bloodline was the most superior.
Under such constant indoctrination, only one belief remained in her heart.
That was, no matter what, she had to raise offspring more outstanding than herself, even more outstanding than everyone else.
Pursue the strong, worship the strong, and in the end, surpass the strong.
However, just as Viktor said.
"You're still not worthy."
On one hand, Viktor would never allow his bloodline to survive in such an environment. On the other hand, Viktor spoke slowly to Hera in an utterly ordinary tone, "Do you think you're strong?"
The moment his words fell, the saplings that had just sprouted were gradually covered from the roots up by a layer of green.
In the blink of an eye, they grew into several towering trees.
That rich green poured into the trees, and lush leaves spread along their bare branches, along with flower buds about to bloom.
Raindrops falling from the clear sky gradually calmed, sliding over the leaves and striking the ground, forming crystal-clear puddles that reflected the deep green.
Lush grass sprouted across the land. A gentle breeze swept through the forest, wave after wave of green rolling outward with a rustling sound.
Hera stared at the environment that had transformed in an instant, and once again stood frozen.
Anyone, upon seeing such a scene like a divine miracle, would be utterly shaken.
Her mind went completely blank, but soon, her consciousness returned to her control.
At this moment, Hera fell into deep self-doubt.
Was she… strong?
Before encountering Viktor, she could indeed declare with great confidence, she was very, very strong.
From growing up and constantly becoming stronger, to entering the empire, Hera had never encountered anyone stronger than herself.
Perhaps there were some beings who could match her evenly, but mere parity would never qualify as the one in Hera's heart.
Even when she heard about the Magic Council appointing a new councilor named Viktor, there hadn't been the slightest ripple in her heart.
Just a small councilor, how much power could he really have?
Until she saw it with her own eyes.
Magic powerful enough to change the heavens and earth, capable of defeating a monster strong enough to destroy vast lands.
And the user of that magic... was the man standing before her.
Viktor.
Elegant. Powerful.
He had only suffered a minor injury at the very start of the battle.
After that, through nearly an entire day of fierce combat, he hadn't been injured even once.
Viktor's voice rang out again, still calm and even.
"There's a considerable gap between you and me. You should understand that better than I do."
"So what makes you think you're worthy of me?"
Hera listened to every word Viktor spoke, remaining silent.
It was as if sharp needles were slowly piercing her heart.
Viktor's words plunged her into deep anguish.
She had countless followers, even innumerable pursuers.
And in her beastly worldview, she preferred to call their actions, courtship.
The weak followed the strong, and they too pursued Hera because of her strength.
But Hera, just like Viktor now, had rejected them as well.
Using the exact same reason.
"Are you worthy?"
What Hera valued were the stronger ones. The weak had no value in her eyes.
Now, her own courtship had met the same rejection.
Because here, she was the weak one.
Viktor was the strong one.
The strong had no need to indulge the weak with empty courtesies. So Viktor rejecting her with the same reasoning left Hera with nothing she could say.
Because she was a beast, she had to follow the laws of beasts.
The weak are prey to the strong, and only the strong are right.
Having said that, Viktor turned around and never looked back again.
He gazed up at the sky, a trace of white glow flickering in his eyes.
The white formation beneath his feet, which had been rotating nonstop, gradually contracted. Star-like wings of magical power began to orbit around him.
The next second, the massive white formation surged upward. The gathered wings burst outward, and the formation completely dissipated.
With a spiraling airflow, Viktor vanished from the spot.
Only two lingering sentences echoed in the air, "It seems this cooperation didn't go very well, but your ambition has earned my recognition."
"I'll wait for your message. Until next time."
All the adventurers gathered together, looking worriedly at Hera, who stood there with her head lowered, her expression unreadable.
"Boss…"
Soon, after hearing that call, Hera lifted her head again, returning to her original calm and elegant demeanor.
Holding her fan, covering her mouth, she smiled faintly.
"It's fine. It's just a rejection, that's all."
Being rejected on her very first attempt at courtship did, to be honest, make her feel somewhat hurt.
But it also made Hera understand some things.
She stepped forward, onto a shallow puddle, splashing a few crystal-clear droplets of water.
Hera breathed in the fresh air around her, her mood easing.
She walked forward unhurriedly, her quiet footsteps carrying her deeper into the forest.
That lonely figure looked even more solitary under the sunlight.
She continued walking in silence, and the adventurers all remained silent as well.
Suddenly, Hera stopped, turned around, and looked solemnly at the fourth-tier adventurers, sizing them up from head to toe.
With a flick of her wrist, Hera snapped her fan open, completely covering her softly smiling face.
There was a hint of fanaticism in her eyes.
"I think our Beast Guild should make some changes."
As her words slowly fell, the adventurers felt something gradually rising from the depths of their hearts, as if they had understood something.
It wasn't just Hera who thought this way. Anyone who joined the Beast Guild already leaned toward a beast-like way of thinking.
These fourth-tier adventurers had, more or less, once been defeated by Hera, or were simply convinced by her strength and willingly became guild members.
And Viktor's appearance had also shaken them deeply.
Beasts worship the strong, and should follow the strong.
And now, Viktor was that strong one.
"The Clavenna family's recruitment will be an opportunity for our Beast Guild."
———
[The Thirtieth Floor of the Monster Rift]
[Verdant Skyway]
Passing through a massive gate, they finally arrived at the end of the Verdant Skyway.
What appeared before them was an extremely vast open area.
The demi-human team entered in an orderly manner, but their expressions grew extremely grave.
Everywhere, there were decayed green vines and faint, ghostly glimmers of light.
As if sensing something, a giant claw broke through the green earth below, followed by a withered head emerging.
Its eyes were dull as it struggled, extending half of its body out.
The entire team went on alert. They could clearly sense the powerful aura emanating from the monster about to appear.
Even Gwen drew her sword, sharp light in her eyes, standing ready.
Aurelian, however, looked at the dull monster still struggling to emerge, as if recognizing it, and said slowly, "Found it. The end of the thirtieth floor."
"The floor boss: Soul-Diving Demon Corpse."