The Ultimate Litter: A Beast World System Tale novel Chapter 166

Chapter 166 The Calm Before Grimstone Burns

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Finlay let out a sharp breath through his nose. His face showed a hint of displeasure as he sat down in the city lord’s seat.

Only after he sat did the other beast folk finally take their seats as well.

Marcus pulled Claire along and sat behind a long wooden table.

The steps were just wide enough for two people to sit side by side. In front of the table, there was barely enough space for a hand to fit before the next lower step began.

The layered setup looked pretty unique, but it also meant the beastfolk on the higher levels could clearly see everything happening below them.

Especially Finlay. His seat stood at the very top. From there, he could see the entire altar, and his voice carried across the whole place.

He spoke calmly, “The Sky Rite begins.”

The moment he gave the order, loud drums thundered through the air. An old male deer- beastfolk walked out slowly. His hair was gray, and a long white beard hung down his chest.

Two antlers rose from his head. The second he appeared, he began chanting prayers in a loud

voice.

The prayer sounded ancient and confusing. On top of that, the old deer mumbled half the words. Claire could not understand a single sentence. After listening for a while, she suddenly felt like she was back in school, sitting in a classroom while a teacher droned on and on at the front. The sound was so sleep-inducing that her eyelids began to droop.

Her eyes kept twitching, begging to close.

Marcus pulled her gently against his shoulder.

He whispered into her ear, “Claire, if you’re exhausted, lean on me and sleep for a bit. I’ll wake you when the old deer finally finishes singing.”

His voice was unbelievably soft and sounded better than a lullaby. Before she knew it, she had already fallen half asleep.

When Finlay saw that scene, the anger in his eyes grew even stronger.

Still, he did not call them out publicly. Instead, he lowered his voice and asked the guard beside him, “Did the two men we sent to the blind kid’s house this morning report back yet?”

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Chapter 166 The Calm Before Grimstone Burns

The guard shook his head.

“No, My Lord.”

:))

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Finlay fell silent for a moment. His eyes landed on Marcus and Claire, who sat only a few feet away, leaning tightly against each other.

Then he gave another quiet order. “Send four more men over there. Make sure none of that female’s younglings leave the house. Not a single one.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

The guard immediately left. Finlay stared at Claire’s slim back, confidence slowly filling his

chest.

In Beast World, it was extremely difficult for females to give birth safely. Some even died during labor. Because of that, children were rare everywhere.

But this female had birthed 51 younglings at once.

Even now, Finlay still remembered the shock he felt when his men first told him the news. At the same time, he had struggled with a decision.

Should he continue with his original plan? Alternatively, should he consider making a few changes?

After all, he was the unquestioned ruler of Grimstone. What he wanted to do, and how he wanted to do it, was entirely his choice. Nobody else had the right to argue with him.

Finlay watched the deer beastfolk perform his awkward dances, but his mind was clearly elsewhere as he weighed his options.

Down below, Zane narrowed his eyes. The way Finlay stared at Claire made him want to rip the bear’s eyes right out.

That sleazy look on Finlay’s face was full of bad intentions. No one knew what dirty thoughts. were running through his head right now.

Claire was not someone a beastfolk like that could think about!

Rufus cursed beside him.

“That stupid brown bear! Looking at Claire like that? Just wait! One day I’m going to beat the crap out of him!”

Zane answered calmly, “Why wait? Today works just fine.”

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Chapter 166 The Calm Before Grimstone Burns

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Zane was certain that Finlay was about to get a very unpleasant shock, given the things he and Marcus had planned and the surprise he had already hidden in advance.

Rufus nodded hard, then jabbed Zane with his elbow.

“So when does your plan start? I can’t wait anymore!”

He wanted to flip this whole altar over right now.

“Not yet.”

The best moment had not arrived. Zane forced himself to stay patient as he continued watching everything happening on the altar.

He had already gotten a copy of the Sky Rite schedule long ago. He knew every step by heart. Next came the city lord’s speech.

Sure enough, after one long, dramatic chant, the deer beastfolk finally finished their prayers.

“Next, please welcome Lord Finlay for his speech!”

Finlay’s huge body stayed planted in his seat. He did not even bother standing before he started talking.

“Ahem. Honored ladies, my fellow beastfolk brothers, I am your city lord, Finlay Byrne! Ever since I took this position…”

Finlay began his emotional speech.

At that moment, Claire woke from her nap and happened to hear him speaking. She immediately paid attention, curious about how he ruled Grimstone.

But after listening for a while, she came to one conclusion. The man survived entirely on smooth talking.

Finlay looked rough and intimidating, but he was incredibly skilled with words. One moment he talked about the challenges of managing Grimstone. Next, he spoke about how challenging beastfolk lives were. Then he praised Grimstone’s strong defenses and encouraged more beastfolk to join the city.

A few simple speeches were enough to stir up the entire crowd below the altar. The beastfolk grew more and more excited, and their admiration for Finlay only deepened.

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The Ultimate Litter: A Beast World System Tale