The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 1095 - 167 - The Lamia’s Tribe (4)

"I understand the implications now. You’re something of an anomaly," she said, her tone steady but edged with something sharp. "I didn’t even begin to grasp what just happened earlier. At first, you made it easy for us—too easy. Then you went out of your way to pour salt into the wound by showing us exactly what you’re capable of. Just as I thought... you’re an anomaly in this forest, Elven Fucker."

Her words lingered in the air, heavy and deliberate, like she wanted them to sink in. The title didn’t sound like an insult anymore—it felt more like a reluctant acknowledgment.

"Please, don’t say it like that," I replied, letting out a slow breath. "I love all women equally, no matter where they come from or what they are."

"So you don’t discriminate, huh?" she asked.

Even with a blade pressed against her right now, cold steel biting into her skin, she licked her lips instead of showing fear. The gesture was slow, deliberate, and almost playful, as if she found genuine amusement in the idea that I didn’t care who I fucked, as long as they were a woman.

"So even a lamia is fine with you, then," she said, a smile curling at the edges of her lips. "That’s really fortunate. I’m currently looking for a husband. Humans aren’t usually my type, and I’d always imagined myself with a strong, capable lamia as a partner. But after watching you fight us like that—and defeat us so effortlessly—I’m starting to think maybe a human isn’t so bad after all."

Her gaze shifted then, becoming slow and heavy, openly seductive. It wasn’t subtle, and it wasn’t accidental. For a brief moment, I felt a strange pull, like something tugging at the back of my mind. Lamias were known for this—the way they could charm, lure, and hypnotize their prey through sheer seduction.

Still, she had misjudged me.

I didn’t waver.

When she realized that her influence wasn’t working, her smile widened instead of fading. There was something almost pleased about it, as if she’d just confirmed something important.

"I see... so from the start, we never had a chance, huh?" she said.

I loosened my grip and finally stepped back, releasing her completely. Holding her down didn’t matter anymore. She already understood the gap between us—how pointless it would be to resist. Keeping her restrained now would’ve served no purpose other than unnecessary force.

"Well then, Elven Fucker," she said calmly. "Welcome to our tribe."

The moment the words left her mouth, a strange sensation washed over me. It felt like the world itself twisted—like the ground beneath my feet shifted without actually moving. When I looked around, the scenery had completely changed.

The forest was gone.

In its place stood something entirely different.

Was this reality manipulation? That was the first thought that crossed my mind. It was possible. Or maybe it wasn’t that dramatic—maybe she’d simply altered my perception, or perhaps we had already been close to the lamia settlement from the beginning.

Either way, the surroundings were unmistakably foreign.

Instead of wooden houses or stone-built structures, there were caves carved naturally into rock faces, wide openings leading into shadowed interiors. Everything felt organic, shaped by nature rather than hands. It caught me off guard. I hadn’t expected this, but thinking about it now, it made sense. Lamias didn’t really need houses the way other races did. Wooden walls and neatly stacked stones weren’t exactly designed with serpentine bodies in mind.

"You’re just going to let me in like that?" I asked, glancing around.

"Well, that’s what I want," she replied simply. "And if that’s the case, then of course you’re welcome here. I want to talk to you about something."

So that was it. She had an agenda.

That realization made everything click. Things had gone too smoothly after the fight. Not easy—I’d still fought them—but smoother than expected. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure the fighting had been necessary at all.

We continued walking deeper into the settlement, the sound of stone beneath us echoing faintly. Then we stopped.

Something ahead caught my attention.

"Eggs?" I said.

"You’re surprised?" the lamia leader asked, glancing back at me. "We lamias aren’t born like most other races. We’re like normal snakes. We lay eggs."

"I see..." I muttered.

It made sense when I thought about it. Their upper bodies were humanoid, yes, but their lower halves were unmistakably serpentine. Expecting them to give birth like mammals would’ve been stranger, honestly. Eggs were natural for them.

As I looked closer, though, something felt off.

Around the nest, lamias were gathered—too many, and too quiet. Their faces were drawn tight with grief. Some were kneeling, others coiled protectively around nothing at all.

I stepped closer and saw it.

The eggs were ruined.

Not shattered, not violently destroyed—but spoiled. They hadn’t been laid properly. The shells were dulled, cracked in places, and lifeless. The snowstorm must have done this. They probably couldn’t lay the eggs safely when the cold hit, and bringing them into the caves wouldn’t have helped either. The caves weren’t insulated enough to protect something so fragile.

It was a losing situation no matter what they chose.

"As you can see, we’ve suffered a great loss," she said quietly. The earlier teasing tone was gone, replaced by something heavy and restrained. "One so severe that we may not recover for quite some time. Children are a blessing to our tribe. We’re already dying out. There are only about seventy of us left, and our numbers have been dwindling for years due to repeated catastrophes."

She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.

"We have no choice but to rely on an external factor if we want to survive."

Her eyes shifted to me.

There was no confusion in that look. No hesitation. I was the external factor she meant.

"Your reputation precedes you," she said. "That’s why I believe you’re the only one capable of helping us."

I wasn’t entirely sure what reputation she was referring to. The idea that my habit of fucking every race in the forest had spread this far was... uncomfortable, to say the least. Still, whether she misunderstood me or not, the situation in front of me was real.

I could help them.

Whether I would was another matter entirely.

I didn’t know what she was asking of me yet, and I wasn’t about to agree blindly.

"What do you want my help with?" I asked.

"The construction of our houses," she said.