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Chapter 77 Succeed
Chapter 77 Succeed
Chapter 77 Succeed
For hours, Henry held the small three-headed wolf hostage, forcing the Alpha to howl without pause. And, whenever she ceased and tried to threaten him, Henry would gently squeeze one of the cub's necks, causing it to pitifully whimper. Deep down, Henry didn't like mistreating animals, some moral remnant from his time on Earth. But to achieve his goal, he was ready to set it aside and act against his principles. A clear sign that this world was gradually changing his essence and actions.
As the tiny cub whimpered, the other wolves circled Henry with caution, their bodies low and teeth exposed, waiting for the Alpha's signal to attack. But for the first time, the Alpha felt extremely vulnerable under the gaze of another being, as if it were a defenseless rabbit. Despite its limited intelligence, it understood that an attack would only endanger its precious offspring. It could only helplessly raise both heads and angrily howl, causing the surrounding snow to slightly tremble.
The size and the dreadful figure of the Two-Headed Wolf led Henry to think about the unexplored potential of this beast for his army, if it could be tamed. It definitely had the power to handle two Second Stage Warriors without dying and even stall a Third Stage by working together with the rest of the pack. Besides attacking, this species could even help with scouting and hunting.
"Sadly, I don't have a skilled tamer, and there are not enough soldiers to capture these wolves alive" – Henry muttered, feeling the cub's weight in his hands.
He understood that the moment wasn't ideal for such attempt. He would have to wait for the right opportunity in the future to capture and utilize them. Currently, Henry's objective was to lure his enemies into the mountain and eliminate their existence, using these wolves to accomplish it.
Henry stood near the edge of a cliff, a spot the wolves often used to search for preys or potential predators down the mountain. Unperturbed by the growling wolves, the king turned his grey eyes towards the main path of the mountain, hoping to catch sight of the enemies amidst the vast white blanket that covered it. He had instructed Leier to come to him immediately once the enemies got near the traps. Henry couldn't risk alerting them by stopping the howls.
With no signs of anyone approaching, Henry turned his attention back to the massive black wolf. He lifted the small three-headed white wolf in his hand again, about to command the Alpha to howl again, when a white phantom appeared behind him. Leier appeared gasping for air, the ragged clothes hiding her bluish skin. The sudden appearance of a new person made the Two-Headed Alpha feel threatened, causing it to bare its fangs and wildly growl. In response to the Alpha's action, the other wolves approached Henry, their bodies still crouched low, their mouths nearly touching the snow beneath them. The Alpha would protect its kid or die trying.
Leier's icy blue eyes locked onto the massive wolf, her hands resting on the daggers at her waist. She was becoming more and more proficient with her abilities, as she managed to approach Henry without alerting the wolves. Even the Alpha only noticed her when she revealed her figure. Leier's eyes were like spears that threatened to pierce the Alpha's throat, causing its fur to stand on end. The danger was enough for one of the giant wolf's head to growl again, forcing the wolves to cautiously walk back and stand in front of her, assuming a defensive formation.
"She is smarter than the barbarians and the captains of that nation. It instinctively understands the importance of retreating and formation." – Henry though with a grin on his lips, the interest to tame these animals rising within him. He couldn't help but silently curse at his lack of manpower. He would make sure to look for a great tamer.
As the wolves retreated and her king showed no intention of harming them, Leier bowed at the kind and spoke between haggard breath, trying not to freeze her lungs by using Mana – "My Liege. The enemies' leader seems to have noticed that something was wrong and stopped climbing the mountain. They are preparing to go down."
Upon hearing Leier's words, Henry turned his head in surprise, unconsciously tightening his grip on the small wolf's head, causing it to whimper again. The Alpha's red eyes gleamed with a crazed intensity, ready to instinctively attack. It ferociously bared its fangs and growled, making the wolves take two steps forwards. As the snow beneath them crunched, Henry snapped back to the present, slightly loosening his grip on the cub to allow it to breathe. His cold eyes locked onto the Alpha, which took a step back, sensing a dangerous and ominous aura emanating from Henry.
Henry's grey eyes returned to Leier, still holding a hint of surprise.
"That's surprising. It appears they do have some brains inside their heads…not much different than that wolf" - Henry remarked, his eyes briefly looking to the Alpha, before inquiring- "What about my soldiers? Where are they?"
Recognizing the harsh conditions atop the mountain, Henry decided to only bring those at or above the Second Stage with him on this mission. The others would trap those who tried to run away at the base of the mountain. Right now, with the mission diverting from the programmed, it could be dangerous for the others.
Leier took two deep breaths, feeling the frigid air filling her nostrils as she replied - "I instructed them to trail behind the enemy while using the environment to stay concealed. I have put Zahra as the temporary leader."
Henry nodded silently; his eyes gleaming with a calculating light as he pondered the most efficient way to bypass this situation – "What about the enemies' situation?" - he inquired, absentmindedly petting the cub's head, who tried to get away from his hands.
"Only about half of their soldiers are capable of fighting, and fifteen of them have perished due to the extreme mountain conditions" - Leier replied, her eyes lingering strangely at the pet in Henry's hand.
Elton's recklessness had turned the mountain into a graveyard for his own people. Their bodies would be eternally preserved in this forgotten cold place.
"That's great."- Henry said, his eyes cold and resolute - "I will go to Zahra while you go down the mountain to assemble the others. You are responsible for eliminating anyone who managed to reach the foot of the mountain."
"The plan hadn't gone totally wrong; it can still be saved" – Henry thought – "I just need to eliminate the leader."
"Let's go!" Henry commanded, ready to descend from the cliff. However, when he was about to jump, the Alpha couldn't help but desperately growl to get his attention.
Henry turned his eyes back to the massive black wolf, unsure of what it wanted, until he finally remembered of the small and weakly thing rebelling against him.
"It's not like I will steal her from you…for now"- he said, gently placing the small puppy on the ground. – "Here you go!"
He then looked at the Alpha again, who was eagerly waiting for him to move away from its cub to finally retrieve it. Henry flashed a smile as he said with hope – "Until next time!" – His eyes still carried a hint of regret for not having a capable tamer under him. He wanted to incorporate these animals into his army.
Upon hearing those words, the Alpha couldn't help but shudder, watching as Henry and Leier jumped down from the cliff. It wanted nothing more than to never encounter that formidable being again. It took its child by the fur and disappeared into the mountain, leaving the discovered hideout.