Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

Evand never imagined that Nexus could run so fast; he struggled with all his might to barely catch up with Nexus.

"Huff... Nexus, what... happened?" Evan braced his hands on his knees, breathing heavily, his gaze fixed on Nexus's back.

He desperately needs an answer now, otherwise all his efforts will have been in vain.

Nexus didn't speak; he simply pulled Evandra behind him and then looked ahead warily.

Because Nexus's body was blocking his view, Evand couldn't see anything in front of him, so he could only shift his body slightly to the left.

As soon as Evand poked his head out, a sharp arrow flew rapidly toward him. At that moment, Evand was already imagining the scene of being hit. He had no chance to react and could only resign himself to closing his eyes.

After a while, Evand did not feel the pain in his head. He opened his eyes in confusion, and what he saw was a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

Nexus gripped the arrow tightly in his claws. Because the arrow was designed for a fatal strike, it had a barb on the tip. Now, the barb was deeply embedded in Nexus's claws, staining them red with blood.

Evand stood frozen in place, speechless with shock after witnessing everything. He looked at Nexus, only to see the usually calm and composed tribal chief simply gazing at him silently, a hint of tenderness and anger in his eyes.

Just then, a figure emerged from the shadows of the woods—Yvette Wardhouse, leader of the lizard rebels. He wore dark green armor, held a longbow in his hand, and wore a mocking smile. (I've watched the story several times and never noticed the rebel leader's name, so I just made one up (o?n))

“Nexus, you’re ridiculously stupid,” Wardhouse sneered, deliberately raising his voice. “I thought you were a bit smarter, but I never expected you to sacrifice yourself to protect such a piece of trash.”

He walked up to Nexus and Evand, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two men, and continued, "My men were really reckless, only firing one arrow. If they had been any more ruthless, you probably wouldn't be seeing your little lackey right now."

Nexus's face darkened. He looked up at Wardhouse and said coldly, "Wardhouse, what is your purpose in coming here? Why did you hurt this innocent little wolf?"

Wardhouse smiled slightly and said nonchalantly, "Purpose? Naturally, it's to seize your leadership. Your lizard tribe is at a critical juncture right now. If I can defeat you and take your leadership position at this time, then the entire lizard tribe will belong to me."

Upon hearing this, Nexus's eyes flashed with anger. He said in a deep voice, "Wardhouse, for the sake of power, you are willing to betray your own people and harm innocent members of your tribe. Aren't you afraid of retribution for doing this?"

Wardhouse shrugged dismissively and said, "Retribution? In this dog-eat-dog world, I only believe in my own strength. As for your so-called retribution, it's nothing but a joke to me."

Nexus took a deep breath; he knew the situation was extremely tense. He could no longer allow Wardhouse to continue his arrogance; he had to take action to protect his people and tribe.

“Wardhouse, since you insist on provoking a fight, don’t blame me for being impolite,” Nexus said coldly, his eyes revealing determination and resolve.

……

On the border of the lizard tribe, a vast swamp became the stage for the duel between Nexus and Wardhouse, the chieftains. The swamp, a mixture of mud and puddles, was fraught with danger, but also offered many excellent hiding places.

The duel for leadership has begun, and only those who fight to the death can win the final victory.

Nexus and Wardhouse stood at opposite ends of the swamp, far enough apart that their arrows couldn't strike each other directly. But they knew this was only a temporary calm; the real battle was just beginning.

Wardhouse took the lead, using the reeds in the swamp as cover as he cautiously moved forward. His eyes were sharp as he constantly searched the swamp for any trace of Nexus.

Nexus, not to be outdone, quickly found a protruding rock to use as cover, relying on his familiarity with the swamp. He lay quietly on the rock, his eyes fixed on Wardhouse's direction, waiting for the best opportunity to strike.

The duel between the two reached a stalemate, with only their soft breathing and the occasional chirping of insects echoing in the swamp. But beneath this calm, a fierce undercurrent was brewing.

Suddenly, Wardhouse emerged from the reeds, aimed at Nexus, and fired an arrow. The arrow arced through the air, heading straight for Nexus.

Nexus was prepared; he quickly rolled to the other side of the rock, dodging the arrow. At the same time, he swiftly drew his bow and aimed at Wardhouse.

Seeing this, Wardhouse quickly retreated and hid in another patch of reeds. But Nexus's arrow had already been shot; it pierced through the gaps in the reeds and headed straight for Wardhouse.

Although Wardhouse reacted quickly, Nexus's arrow still grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep wound. Wardhouse cried out in pain, but he did not give up and continued to look for an opportunity to counterattack.

The two engaged in a fierce duel in the swamp. They sometimes hid in the reeds, sometimes used rocks as cover, constantly searching for each other's weaknesses. Arrows flew crisscrossing through the swamp, emitting sharp whistling sounds.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment; everything around them vanished, leaving only the two of them and the whistling arrows. Each arrow embodied their strength and determination, each arrow seemed to carry their unwavering belief in victory.

However, the battle lasted for a long time without a clear winner. Both were experts in archery, and they had lived together before, so they knew each other quite well.

"Hehehe~ I don't think this is a solution. If we keep fighting like this, it'll go on until next year. I think we should try a different way to decide the outcome, like shooting directly on flat ground that's not 50 meters away."

"Only those who are strong enough are qualified to be the leader, and only by using the method I just described can the best candidate for leader be tested. Only those with sharp reflexes, agile bodies, and great strength can defeat their opponents and win this game."

Even if you win the match this way, what does it prove? Hiding like this is no different from cowardice, is it? Don't you agree, Nexus?

As Wardhouse finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze, and all eyes were fixed on the two leaders. A hint of disdain flashed in Wardhouse's eyes. He was confident in his archery skills and believed that this duel was nothing more than Nexus's last-ditch struggle.

Wardhouse may have been the leader of the rebel tribe for too long, and he doesn't even know the difference between himself and Nexus. Before the tribes were divided, Nexus's archery skills were better than his, let alone so much time has passed. Therefore, the only possible winner of this contest is Nexus.

If Wardhouse hadn't been so arrogant and had continued to use the same method as before to decide the outcome, he might have had a chance to escape. After all, the fact that this guy was able to run outside the Lizard Clan and re-establish a Lizard Clan was because of his exceptional ability to escape; otherwise, he would have died long ago during the pursuit.

“Since you want to play this game, then I’ll play with you to the end,” Nexus said calmly. He put down his longbow and took out a specially made arrow from the quiver on his back. The tip of the arrow gleamed with a cold light, clearly coated with a deadly poison.

Nexus no longer wanted to fight this guy. Too many bad things had happened in his tribe recently, and his prestige among the tribe was getting lower and lower. Just then, a fool jumped out and solved a small problem for him.

Most importantly, Wardhouse dared to harm the wolf he wanted to protect with his life, which he could not tolerate. If it weren't for Evand being in his clan, Nexus might have killed Wardhouse long ago.

Nexus remained silent, simply picking up his bow and arrow. Though blood still dripped from his claws, his eyes were exceptionally resolute. He knew this duel concerned not only his life or death, but also the future of the entire lizard tribe and the place he held in the little wolf's heart.

“How about deciding the outcome with one arrow?” Wardhouse glanced at Nexus provocatively, his eyes filled with disdain and arrogance.

Nexus nodded without saying a word, simply drawing his bow and arrow, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, fixed intently on Wardhouse.

The air around them seemed to grow even more tense, like a taut string that could snap at any moment. Nexus and Wardhouse were both searching for each other's weakness, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.

Suddenly, Nexus moved with lightning speed, his arrow flying from the bowstring towards Wardhouse. Wardhouse reacted just as quickly, dodging the arrow and immediately drawing his bow to fire at Nexus.

The two arrows clashed through the air with a sharp whistling sound. Nexus, with his rich experience, skillfully dodged Wardhouse's arrow, while Wardhouse's arrow struck a large tree beside Nexus, instantly piercing its trunk.

Wardhouse was startled by Nexus's quick reaction. He hadn't expected Nexus to react so fast. But he wasn't about to back down, and quickly drew his bow again, preparing to fire a second shot.

However, in that instant, Nexus had already drawn his bowstring taut once more, his eyes gleaming with determination. He knew this was the final blow, and he had to give it his all.

The arrow flew again, heading straight for Wardhouse. Wardhouse immediately fired his own arrow, but this time, it didn't hit its target as accurately as before. Nexus's arrow flashed through the air like lightning, piercing directly through Wardhouse's throat. Even more terrifying, this arrow pierced through all the other arrows that missed Wardhouse as well.

Wardhouse stared wide-eyed at the arrow lodged in his neck, unable to believe his eyes. He collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from the wound, quickly staining his armor crimson.

Nexus stared coldly at Wardhouse lying on the ground, his eyes devoid of any pity. He knew he had won the duel; he had successfully protected his position and his beloved wolf cub.

It's likely that no one in his tribe will dare to voice any objections to Nexus in the future. If he really dares to do so, he'll have to seriously consider whether he has the strength to withstand a single arrow from Nexus.

Deep in the swamp, in an extremely secluded corner, a sophisticated camera silently recorded everything. Its lens was cleverly hidden behind a clump of bushes, its angle perfectly positioned to capture every detail of this life-or-death struggle. With a click of the shutter, the man operating the camera revealed a smug smile. His face was filled with satisfaction, as if he had witnessed a great legend.

"What an interesting 'story'! It seems that everything here has changed a lot because of me. So how will the 'story' change next because of me?"

He then quietly put away the camera, turned and disappeared into the jungle, leaving only the sound of the wind blowing through the bushes and the lingering smell of blood in the air.

Nexus was oblivious to all of this; his entire focus was on the fallen Wardhouse. He stood quietly, letting the breeze caress his face, while his mind raced, rapidly considering his next move.

He turned around and looked at Evand, who was standing to the side. The little wolf's eyes were filled with adoration and gratitude for Nexus, and, well, a tiny bit of love?

Evand knew that without Nexus, he would have been dead long ago. Now, he was completely conquered by the teacher who had taught him the art of seduction, and his heart was probably now transformed into Nexus's image.

Nexus walked up to Evand and was about to gently pat Evand's paw when he forcibly withdrew it.

Then Nexus switched to a claw without any wounds and gently stroked Evand's head.

But Evand didn't obediently let Nexus pat his head as Nexus had expected.

Evand gently pushed away Nexus's outstretched paw, then trotted behind Nexus, placed the blood-stained, gaping claw against his chest, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Thank you, little Nexus. May I call you that, teacher?"

At this moment, Nexus felt that his beast life had reached its peak. He had never been so happy. At this moment, he wanted to pin Evand to the ground and suck him up, but after looking at the tribe around him, he gave up the idea.

After he calmed down, he squatted down slightly and said in a deep and gentle voice, "Evand, it's not safe here. Let's go back to the tavern. I'll definitely come to find you when I have time."

Actually, Nexus had one more thing he didn't say: "Wait for me, I'll definitely show you whether this chieftain can fathom the true strength of the little wolf! Hahaha~"

Evand looked up into Nexus's eyes, knowing that the tribal chief's decision must have been carefully considered. He nodded in agreement.

Nexus took a deep breath, turned to Salye, and said, "I need to take Evand away for a while to ensure his safety. During my absence, you will be in charge of the tribe's affairs."

"Yes, my respected clan leader..."

The tribespeople all expressed their understanding; even if they didn't understand, they had to.