Rising in the Beast World, Becoming Apex Predator

A Forced Separation

Cora couldn't contain the anxiety building in her chest. The moment that familiar howl echoed through the air a second time, she ran out of the cave, completely ignoring the stiffness and pain in her ankle. Ryker followed closely behind, keeping a calm, steady pace, letting Cora lead the way out to an open clearing just beyond the perimeter fence his Orc servants were building.

A dozen male warriors from the Silver Wolf tribe had already gathered in the clearing, surrounded by towering, ancient trees. They were all heavily built, sporting silver-gray wolf ears and tails, and were armed with heavy bone axes and fangs tipped spears.

Standing at the front of the pack was a middle-aged male with the most imposing build. His silver hair was starting to gray at the temples. He was clearly the chief.

"Cora!" the chief called out. The moment he saw his daughter emerge from the brush, the tension melted from his stern face, replaced by a deep sense of relief.

"Father!" Cora ran forward and threw herself into his arms, tears of relief pooling in her eyes. "I didn't think I'd ever see you guys again. I got trapped yesterday..."

The other wolf warriors quickly noticed Ryker standing a few dozen yards behind Cora. They instantly went on high alert, raising their weapons and letting out low, threatening growls from their throats.

Ryker stayed put, crossing his arms as he watched everything unfold from a distance. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as an amusing thought crossed his mind. 'Is this what meeting the in-laws looks like in the primal world?'

[Ding! Activating Character Background Analysis...]

[Target Profile:] The middle-aged male ahead is Garn Volkan, Chief of the Silver Wolf Tribe.

[Family Structure & Hierarchy:] The Silver Wolf Tribe operates on a strict strength-based hierarchy. As chief, Garn has absolute authority over the territory and the marriages of his clan. Cora is the eldest pureblood female, making her the most valuable asset for inter-tribal alliances. She has been promised to the prince of the Golden Wolf Tribe—the dominant clan in the Western region—to secure their territory's protection.

'I see...' Ryker thought, nodding to himself as the system laid out the details. No wonder Cora had been hunting alone; the pressure of being the chief's daughter had to be massive, and her marriage wasn't about romance—it was a political play for the clan's survival.

"Ryker! Come here!" Cora called out, turning to wave him over. Blushing slightly, she looked back at her father. "Father, don't attack him! He's the one who saved me from the iron-scaled lizard and the rogue Orcs!"

Ryker walked forward calmly, completely unfazed by the sharp glares and low growls from the wolf warriors. The passive leadership aura from the system made every step he took feel grounded and authoritative.

"Good morning, Chief Garn," Ryker greeted him politely.

Garn frowned, catching the scent in the air between Ryker and Cora. A second later, the chief's amber eyes widened in pure, boiling rage. As an experienced wolf, he could smell the incredibly potent mating pheromones on Cora—and the ownership scent came directly from the hairless, foreign male standing before him.

"Cora... what did you do?!" Garn snarled, his voice shaking with anger. "Your scent... you let this outsider mark you?!"

Cora puffed out her chest, standing her ground to shield Ryker. "Yes, Father! Ryker touched the base of my tail and we mated last night. I chose him as my male, and I'm his female now!"

"Insolent!" Garn roared, making the warriors behind him flinch. "Cora, you are a pureblood princess of the Silver Wolf Tribe! You are supposed to marry Prince Kael of the Golden Wolf Tribe next month for our alliance! How could you give yourself to this weakling from some nameless race?!"

"I don't care about the alliance! If it wasn't for Ryker, I'd be monster meat by now!" Cora fired back.

"Bring her back!" Garn commanded his warriors coldly. "Separate her from that freak!"

Four wolf warriors lunged forward, pointing their spears at Ryker, while two others tried to drag Cora back. Cora resisted, scratching and biting, screaming Ryker's name.

Seeing his female being handled roughly, Ryker's eyes narrowed into a lethal stare. His muscles tensed, ready to unleash his 200% physical boost to tear through the approaching warriors.

[System Warning:] Slaughtering or severely injuring members of the Silver Wolf Tribe will lock your reputation status with Cora's clan into "Eternal Enmity." This will heavily complicate future missions to integrate the tribes.

Ryker checked his movement. 'Damn it...' he thought. He really didn't want to hurt Cora's family or make her hate him over a bloodbath. He decided to back down from a physical fight this time, choosing a longer-term strategy.

As the four wolf warriors thrust their spears at him, Ryker didn't strike back. He simply used his incredible speed to dodge, fluidly slipping left and right, leaving the warriors stabbing at empty air. He purposely let himself be driven backward, making it look like he was retreating out of respect.

"Ryker! Help me! Don't let them take me!" Cora screamed hysterically as the warriors began dragging her away. Her silver tail and ears drooped, radiating pure despair.

Ryker stopped moving and locked eyes with her, his gaze intense and full of promise. "Cora, calm down! I'll come get you!"

Garn stepped forward, cutting off Ryker's view of Cora. The chief looked down at Ryker with pure contempt.

"Outsider," Garn said, his voice heavy and challenging. "If you're a real male and you want Cora back, come to the Silver Wolf camp when the full moon rises. You'll face Prince Kael in a life-or-death duel in the sacred arena. Beat the prince, and you can take my daughter. If you're a coward, stay out of our lands!"

Garn turned, signaling his pack to move out.

"Ryker! I'll wait for you! Don't forget me!" Cora wailed, her voice hoarse from crying as she begged to stay by his side. But her body was dragged further into the dense, ancient forest until her silhouette completely vanished from sight.

Ryker stood alone in the clearing, which had fallen dead silent again. The morning breeze blew past, rustling the dry leaves around his feet. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, staring in the direction the Silver Wolf tribe had gone, a burning ambition lighting up his eyes.

"Prince Kael, huh?" Ryker muttered under his breath, a cold, confident smile slowly spreading across his face. With the system in his head, he wouldn't just beat some wolf prince—he'd conquer this entire primal world to take back what belonged to him.