Growl!
The wolf pack ran after Arthur, tracking the fresh scent of his blood and following the same path he had taken.
Because of their fatigue and exhaustion, they did not catch up to him quickly, allowing themselves a brief moment to slow down and recover.
Even so, the murderous intent filling their eyes showed they had no intention of letting him escape.
Awoooo!
Suddenly, a howl sounded from afar, causing all the wolves to stop in their tracks.
They quickly turned around and looked back nervously. After a few seconds of waiting, they saw a massive gray wolf running toward them.
The moment it reached them, it stopped and stood proudly, head held high. Its savage red eyes coldly swept over their injured bodies.
Its indifferent behavior made the other wolves uneasy. Instinctively, they lowered their heads and took a step back, as if showing respect. How could they not, when he was their leader?
Their obedience and cowardice made the gray wolf frown. It bared its sharp fangs, revealing a ferocious expression, and growled.
"The intruder… escaped."
That broken growl alone was enough to strike terror into their hearts.
They lowered their heads even more, retreating several steps further, their tails tucked between their legs as they let out low growls, unable to face him.
"Weak."
The gray wolf howled in anger, releasing its overwhelming and terrifying aura. Its eyes filled with killing intent as it slowly walked toward them, eager to tear some of them apart to punish them for their utter failure.
But he suddenly stopped in place. He flicked his tail in confusion for a moment, then—unexpectedly—his oppressive aura vanished, and his expression became as meek as the others'.
He quickly retreated and stood beside them, his fear-filled eyes scanning the surroundings.
At that moment, faint growling sounds echoed from every direction in the forest. The sound of dozens of footsteps closing in surrounded them.
From the darkness, several massive wolves emerged, some of them the same size as him.
Despite their ferocious appearances and savage features, they all stood in silence and submission, paying no attention to him or his pack.
At their center, they left a wide open space. From within it, a massive white wolf slowly stepped forward like a true king, surrounded by his subjects.
His gaze was cold and indifferent, and a calm, pure aura radiated from him, free of any trace of savagery.
He stood at the front with overwhelming presence. His white body was beautiful, radiant, and captivating to behold, yet at the same time, it made every beast that saw him understand just how dangerous he was and how high his Rank stood.
This white wolf was the leader—the main alpha who ruled over the entire pack and all its sub-groups. As such, no wolf dared to move, or even breathe loudly in his presence.
Wolves, like most pack-based beasts, followed a strict hierarchical system based solely on strength.
It was divided as follows: at the bottom of the hierarchy were the small, unranked wolves.
Above them were the ordinary pack members of F-Rank and E-Rank, who made up the overwhelming majority and the core fighting force of the packs.
Above them stood the beta wolves, who were usually exceptional females of E-Rank with purer bloodlines.
The pack's numbers were estimated in the hundreds, nearing a thousand. Due to their sheer size, they were not gathered in a single location, but instead divided into multiple packs, each ruling over a different territory.
Each pack was led by a D-Rank alpha wolf, all of whom submitted to the authority of the white wolf, the main alpha and the strongest individual in the entire pack, a C-Rank.
The white wolf glanced at the gray wolf and his pack, their bodies riddled with wounds.
Then his gaze shifted to the ground, where several patches of blood remained, blood that had fallen from Arthur's body during his escape.
A mysterious glint flashed in his eyes. He then opened his fanged mouth and spoke calmly, in a more expressive language:
"I want him. Bring him to me—alive."
His words were orders that allowed no refusal. Immediately, his followers carried out his will.
All the alpha wolves beside him raised their heads and howled loudly, relaying the command to every member of their packs spread throughout the region.
Without the slightest hesitation, hundreds of wolves began moving in the same direction, following the strong scent of Arthur's blood.
Their numbers and ferocity caused them to destroy everything in their path, trees fell, grass was crushed, and all sleeping birds and animals fled in terror.
As for the white wolf, he remained standing in place. There was no need for him to move, why would he, when his followers would take care of everything?
He shifted his focus once more to the gray wolf and what remained of his pack, then said indifferently to the few alpha wolves still beside him:
"Kill his useless pack."
The gray wolf's heart suddenly pounded, and he felt a jolt of shock. He turned to look at the members of his pack, their expressions and posture full of despair, trembling in fear as the rest of the wolves closed in around them.
He felt a twinge of pity, they were his followers, after all, but he couldn't help them. Any intervention on his part would make him a target too. So he looked away and let the other wolves tear them apart.
…
Far away in the forest, a cold night breeze stirred the short grass beside Arthur, sprawled on the ground like a lifeless corpse.
If it weren't for the slight movement of his chest, one might have thought he was dead.
His battered, wounded body twitched suddenly, as his ears—or rather, his one remaining ear—shifted. One had been severed during the fight and hadn't regenerated.
Slowly, his swollen red eyes opened. He looked at the misty grass in front of him and let out a long, weak groan.
"Ahhh…"
He couldn't think. All he felt was pain; he couldn't even sense the ground beneath him. It took a few minutes for him to regain a tiny bit of clarity, and in his faint awareness he muttered:
"Ah… I can't sleep… I have to keep moving… they'll catch me…"
He tried to activate his Regeneration skill to heal himself and ease the pain, but it was useless, there was no vitality or energy left in his body.
"I have to move."
He forced his back legs to move with extreme difficulty, enduring the pain, and made himself stand. His body trembled violently, and he couldn't take a single step forward.
"Come on, move."
His eyes barely stayed open, and all he could see was a foggy darkness. He didn't know what to do, and his emotions were numb from weakness. He didn't feel fear or worry, he just wanted to sleep.
He leaned and nearly fell, but regained his balance at the last moment.
"I need food."
He pulled a wolf corpse from the Dimensional Storage, shoved his head into it, and took a few bites of meat, barely able to swallow them.
- - - - - - - - - -
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