Chapter 102: Familiar Race

Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Familiar Race

Shen Yun noticed that while everyone else was cheering, Erin, the completely unique Half-Beastman, looked somewhat dejected.

He wondered, "Is it because she’s isolated? Unlikely. She grew up here, and her seemingly friendless state isn’t a recent development."

Soon after, Erin seemed to notice his gaze and looked even more depressed. Her ears and tail drooped again as she turned around and walked alone into the jungle.

"Hmm... It seems to have something to do with me," he thought.

Shen Yun basically understood. After all, this Half-Beastman was simply too easy to read; her ears and tail made her body language incredibly expressive. However, now was not the time to focus on her.

As Shen Yun landed on the ground, the cheers gradually quieted down.

Then, under their awe-struck gazes, Alicia—the only Saint Realm expert among the Cat Race People—solemnly fell to her hands and knees before Shen Yun.

"From this day forth, we of the Cat Race People shall become the vassal race of Prince Violet, Lord Shen Yun."

The rest of the Cat Race People followed suit, prostrating themselves on the ground one after another in the exact same posture.

This was a condition they had previously agreed upon. In reality, they were just seeking a new patron for their people. As for how Shen Yun would treat them, no matter how poorly he treated them, it was still far better than being completely annihilated by the Demon King.

"I accept your vassalage," Shen Yun said in a deep voice.

He already understood what becoming a vassal meant to the Beastman Race. It was essentially finding a boss. They would offer their best resources in exchange for their master’s protection. To him, it felt like they were going from being wild to domesticated.

"Master," Alicia asked softly, having raised her feline face. "Do we need to migrate our entire race, meow?"

"No." Shen Yun shook his head. "You will continue to live here. If the non-human Alliance refuses to allow it, I will personally go and explain it to them."

"Yes, meow!" Alicia’s voice was filled with pleasant surprise.

They had lived in this forest for hundreds of years and were accustomed to the climate. Not to mention, the food here was plentiful and the land fertile; they would definitely be reluctant to suddenly migrate. Moreover, having defeated the Demon King, Shen Yun was undoubtedly the most powerful existence in this world! If he was willing to speak on their behalf...

"Master," Alicia suddenly grew nervous again, lowering her voice. "You have already met my daughter, meow. I wonder..."

"Yes, she’s not bad."

Mentioning the cat-eared girl, Shen Yun’s expression unconsciously softened. Putting aside her adorable appearance, her transparent personality alone was enough to make one unconsciously let go of their heavy thoughts. This was also why people liked keeping pets.

"Your praise is our honor." Alicia finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Dispatching a representative was a profound custom for the Beastman Race when pledging their entire race as a vassal. The one sent out could even represent the whole tribe. If Shen Yun didn’t like her, the best outcome would be that they were ignored. In that case, they would likely be bullied by the rest of the Beastman Race for being traitors.

However, thinking of her daughter, a flash of worry suddenly appeared in Alicia’s eyes. After hesitating for a moment, she looked at Shen Yun pleadingly and said, "Master, that child Erin... because she is a Half-Beastman, her life within the tribe hasn’t been very good. But her desires are very, very small. Just a tiny, insignificant amount of affection is enough to make her satisfied and deeply grateful..."

Saying this was the only thing she could do as a mother. Because of her union with a human, she had nearly plunged the entire Cat Race People into a crisis of being targeted by both humans and beastmen. Therefore, even knowing her daughter was ostracized, she had no standing to help her as the tribe’s matriarch.

"...All of you, rise." Shen Yun fell silent for a moment before suddenly raising his voice.

The prostrating Cat Race People looked at each other before cautiously standing up. Even then, they all kept their bodies bowed, not daring to look up. After all, Shen Yun was a human.

"I am a human, and you are beastmen," Shen Yun spoke again. This single sentence alone made the Cat Race People tremble slightly.

But he continued, "Although we are of different races, we share one thing in common: sentience. This is what separates us from wild beasts. Therefore—I will not treat you as beasts."

"Master..." Alicia looked at Shen Yun in disbelief.

The rest of the Cat Race People gradually raised their heads as well.

Shen Yun’s expression was very serious. He wasn’t exactly a kind-hearted person, but he had his own moral compass. Slaughtering sentient beings without reason crossed his bottom line. Of course, there was no need for him to go out of his way to pamper these Cat Race People, either.

"I value rules. As long as you don’t do anything wrong, there will be no punishment." Shen Yun clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the standing Kingdom Saint Realm experts. "The same applies to you."

"Yes! We will keep this in mind!" The Kingdom Saint Realm experts felt a chill in their hearts and dropped to one knee. However, they also breathed a sigh of relief. They all knew very well that the hardest monarchs to serve were those who acted entirely on their whims.

Meanwhile, nearly a hundred kilometers up in the sky, two figures hovered.

Both were exceptionally handsome men. One wore a green, tight-fitting robe that seemed to be woven from leaves and had pointed ears. The other wore a lightweight white suit of armor that revealed sharply defined muscles, with a pair of white wings stretching nearly four meters wide on his back. They were members of the Elf Race and the Winged Race.

At this moment, a simple mirror hovered in front of them. The silhouette of Shen Yun appeared on its surface, though very blurry.

It was the Light Mirror Technique.

By capturing and repeatedly reflecting light, it allowed one to hazily view scenes from an extreme distance. However, it transmitted no sound.

"To think that the Demon King would die just like that." A trace of horror still lingered in the elf’s eyes.

"He is indeed incredibly powerful," the Winged Race expert said, his expression completely solemn. "What I’m more worried about is his personality. Did you see what just happened? He didn’t even give the Great Saint of the Yibi Empire a chance to explain before obliterating him... If we don’t handle this properly, he might very well become another Demon King to our non-human races."

Although they had politely declined the Cat Race People’s cry for help, they had still wanted to witness the Demon King’s strength. They just hadn’t expected to witness the Demon King’s demise instead. Now, they were starting to regret not standing on the same front as the Cat Race People—or rather, Shen Yun. At the very least, they could have secured the status of an ally.

"Since it has come to this, it’s necessary for us to personally bring gifts to apologize," the elf said thoughtfully, before shaking his head. "It will be difficult. Extremely difficult. He has a beauty with the looks of Queen Violet, and he will soon possess vastly expansive territories and countless wealth. As for authority, power, or even knowledge... everything we have is utterly meaningless to an existence like him."

"Go prepare... There is no other way." The Saint Realm expert of the Winged Race seemed to have thought of something, but he didn’t voice it. Instead, he simply turned around and soared away.