Thanks to her past experiences in another world, Xueji swiftly retrieved the so-called “treasure”—a broken stone tablet—in just ten minutes, much to the bewilderment of the Monarch Deer.
“What’s this tablet for?” Xueji asked the deer.
The Monarch Deer could only fall back on its usual lofty demeanor, replying slowly, “Heaven’s secrets cannot be revealed.” It nodded sagely as it spoke, like an old man.
Xueji ignored its pretentious act. If you don’t know, just say so. She physically skipped the conversation.
Before the deer could finish, Xueji had already walked off, carrying the Wolf King in her arms. The deer hurried after her, adding, “Wait, there’s more! Could you also investigate the dark creatures that killed the previous Wolf King?”
That piqued their interest, and both stopped in their tracks.
Xueji: “The last Wolf King was killed by dark creatures? Perfect, I have some questions for you too.”
“What’s the deal with the giant wolves that escaped the secret realm? Are they connected to you?”
The Monarch Deer looked stunned. “The demonic beasts in this realm are suppressed by its laws—they can’t leave until they take human form. You actually saw giant wolves outside?”
“If living ones are restricted, what about dead ones?” Xueji recalled the rotting insides of the wolves she had slain earlier, some even oozing pus back in Nan City.
“If that many had left, I would’ve known. But during this time, none of our kin have gone missing.” The little wolf in Xueji’s arms was equally shocked by the revelation, and for some reason, a sense of foreboding crept into her heart.
“By the way, does the outer forest count as part of the secret realm?” The borders of the Ancient Forest Realm were vague—even Xueji couldn’t sense them clearly.
The Monarch Deer replied, “No. Why?”
“I encountered five giant wolves out there, and one of them was…” Xueji glanced at the young Wolf King in her arms. “Scar-Eye was among them.”
“What?!”
“We have to go back—now!”
…..
Scar-Eye had already returned to the pack’s gathering place. It wandered to the lakeside, its mind hazy lately, often drifting off to distant places without realizing it. To stay awake, it dunked its head into the water.
The other wolves kept their distance. This fool was always doing strange things. Back when the alpha was breaking through, it kept sleepwalking, returning reeking of something foul—disgusting everyone.
Staring at its reflection, Scar-Eye felt a strange disconnect. It couldn’t quite remember who it was.
Looking around at the other wolves, an inexplicable hatred bubbled up inside. Those familiar yet unfamiliar faces stirred a sudden, violent urge within it.
The impulse pounded against its heart—its once-strong heartbeat now slowing inexplicably. Darkness clouded its vision.
Then, its sense of smell returned. The scent of blood snapped it back to awareness. The agonized howls of its kin shattered the darkness before its eyes.
In that fleeting moment, it remembered its older sister, remembered its own identity. I’m Scar-Eye. Named for losing an eye as a pup to a greedy silver eagle.
“What’s… happening?” Scar-Eye noticed the others staring at it, their postures tense, poised for confrontation—a stance reserved for intruders.
I was so hungry earlier… Then, a piece of [rotten meat] shambled past like a zombie. No—that was a packmate… That was [food].
[Packmates] are companions. Companions are [food].
Then it saw the trembling wolf beneath it—its belly torn open, intestines half-spilled, lying in a pool of blood.
“I did this?!” Realizing its own actions, Scar-Eye scrambled away from the wounded wolf, backing up in horror.
The pack closed in, forcing Scar-Eye to the edge of the lake with nowhere left to retreat.
Just as the standoff reached its peak, the Wolf King, Xueji, and the Monarch Deer rushed onto the scene. Pushing through the crowd, they took the front.
In her urgency, the Wolf King had reverted to her true form—a silver-gray body adorned with golden patterns. Now cleansed of lingering shadows, she radiated an aura akin to a sacred beast.
“Scar-Eye, what’s wrong with you?!” she demanded, her voice unsteady. Standing protectively over the injured wolf, she felt its weakening life force and burned with fury. Her little brother had been replaced by something vile, something rotten.
“Big sis, I—I don’t know! I don’t remember anything!” Its vision blurred again with crimson.
“Stay back! Don’t come near me!” This time, it was acutely aware of the moment its body was stolen from it.
Soon, Scar-Eye’s futile struggles ceased. Its presence twisted, black sludge oozing from its maw. Where the viscous liquid dripped onto the ground, it spread like dark fire, warping everything it touched. Grass writhed as if infused with tormented souls. Tiny insects swelled, burst, then reformed into more insects, only to burst again.
The grotesque scene sent chills down everyone’s spines. The Wolf King could only retreat with the wounded, but Xueji strode straight into the creeping darkness.
“Hey! Get back here!” the Wolf King shouted, desperate to stop her reckless advance.
The World Tree branch reappeared in Xueji’s grip. Even before her spell fully activated, the sheer magical energy made the air around her boil.
“[Blazing Radiance, scorch the earth, purge all evil!]”
As the incantation ended, Xueji’s body shone with golden light. She drove the staff into the ground, and crimson-gold flames erupted from it, encircling the black tide like a barrier.
Once the spell was complete, the Sage’s robes and World Tree staff’s duration expired. The mystical aura around Xueji vanished, leaving only a frail-looking white-haired girl.
Her flames cut off the sludge’s spread. Thanks to the priestess’s blessings, her fire magic carried a sacred attribute—deadly against evil, aberrations, and dark entities. Trapped within the fiery ring, [Scar-Eye] struggled futilely to escape.
Xueji turned back, a confident smile on her face. She walked toward the stunned wolves, stopping beside the one with the torn abdomen. White light flickered in her palms as she stabilized its injuries.
All of this took only minutes, but the consecutive exertions left Xueji noticeably paler.
“Keep it occupied for now. There’s still a chance to save it,” she told the Wolf King.
The Wolf King gazed at this human, now radiating a holy presence, and felt an unprecedented sense of security.
“Alright.”