Just below the surface, Donathan stood awaiting the monsters that were said to be making their way to the surface. He stared down the pathway, his presence felt inviting, calming, and created a sense of ease among those who were still quietly waiting, silently praying.
"Hmm?" He made a sound, and narrowed his eyes. "Ahahaha! So that's how it is, Shurry, still busy getting yourself up then." He let out a laugh, and then a sigh escaped his lips. "He must have gone down even further than before this time. If it had been anything above the 50th floor, he would have made it back on his own."
The horde of monsters had begun to rear around a distant bend each with the power of a monster, fueled with the rage of pure heart. Leading the charge, a powerful snow wolf originally found by Shurry on the 59th floor. It had seen Donathan many times before. It gave him the look, as if to say "WE'RE HERE!". Then it howled.
Donathan was unfortunately the worst at telling the difference in howls. However, there was someone there that could translate…
Her lovely red hair flowed with the pride of woman, and yet the wild side of her race, the werewolf.
"He wants to know where to head first. Or to split the pack."
"I see, tell him to head east, and lend Bokhoir, and Nernatti a paw or two. Then the others can lend a hand to the other directions, whichever they feel like. We have members in every direction, so things should go smoothly."
Rose Fannett thought for a moment to figure out the best way to translate… "You just had to give complicated orders, didn't you?" She complained, with a glare.
"Sorry, I'm still learning the whole howl-phabet. It's not exactly easy."
"Fine." She sighed. "You'd better tell him what I did here."
Rose then made a series of howls that seemingly made no sense at all… Yet the wolves, and other monsters of the wolf, and dog varieties howled in response.
Each of them dashed up and out of the dungeon, sniffing the air, growling and then chose a path to take. The hunt had begun!
"This is so much fun! I love hunting!"
"For our pack!"
"Hunting hunting!"
"Must hunt! Must hunt!"
"Monsters', be our prey!!!"
"I can't wait to sink my fangs into a dragon again!"
"Evil beware the wolf!"
"Hunt!"
"For the pack!"
"Hunt!"
"For the pack!"
"Hunt!"
"For the Alpha!"
The wolves were clearly excited, each of them running freely through the streets, unencumbered by the stuffiness inside the dungeon. Though, not nearly as spacious as the soul of their alpha. In there it was basically free real estate to just; roll, run, prance, and play. Here though, they actually get to hunt for themselves.
…
In the east, after Bokhoir & Nernatti had returned, it was made clear the battle wouldn't be ending anytime soon. Why? Well, more of the slightly larger variety of dragons had swelled the dragons' numbers the moment they'd arrived.
So, when a little more than a couple handfuls of the more powerful variety of wolves arrived to aid them, it wasn't even questioned… not even by the members of Freya familia. Regardless, the intense battle continued to rage on with no end in sight. The first class adventurers would eventually tire out. So, Bokhoir spoke up.
"Shakti! Take everyone from your familia, and get your status updated!"
"What? That would leave you guys to handle this on your own with those weaklings!"
"Ahahaha! They're below par, but they aren't useless, plus we have the wolves on our side now. That means he's coming back soon. Give it half a day at the most."
Shakti realized that Bokhoir was right. He's going to stop on each of the major rest floors except for the 18th. Or, maybe he will do something else down there? "All Ganesha familia members perform strategic, temporary withdrawal! Take your tops off as you run to save time!"
"Now that's an order I can get behind!" Ilta laughed, and helped cover the rear while retreating.
…
In the west, where the fighting was arguably the least intense, someone who'd just transferred familias to continue fighting, drank a potion, noticing the wolves on their way.
"Shit! Hey Commander Gareth!!!! Monsters at our rear! They're pincering us!"
Gareth looked behind the formations. "Wolves?"
"Gareth! If you so much as touch those wolves, I'll kill you myself." Someone from the Ganesha familia said. A rather bold thing to say considering he was only a level 3 at the moment.
"They're allies?"
"Those are wolves that he sent us!"
"Truly? I thought that nickname was just a joke. Seems like it was more accurate than Loki seemed to think." Gareth chuckled. "All forces! Charge forward! Avoid hitting the wolves behind us!"
One of the new monsters got a burst of excitement, and thus speed. This one was clearly a new member, as they had yet to fully take on the form of a wolf, currently still resembling a Hell hound far more than anything else. It reached the forward lines, and leaped over them, its fire breath attack shot out, and then… the arc its body made, landed it right in the center of a horde of cultists, and monsters. Just when it was about to be attacked, a Ganesha member killed the offending cultist.
"We're friends, they're the bad guys, you can hunt them all you want!"
A similar scene played out in the other major battle fronts. It was clear for anyone to see just how helpful the Origin Wolf can be, even when he's yet to resurface.
…
The tide of battle had shifted once more. This time again in the city's favor. And a very particular group did not like this, hovering in the air as they watched the scene before them.
"This was not in the plan…"
"Seems he's more resourceful than you'd thought, right Erebus?"
"Yeah, I was certain he would die down there. Or at least have all of his forces used up. Moreover, where were the other 30 lights? They should have died, or escaped by now."
"Perhaps he's knocking them unconscious?"
"You're right, that would work wouldn't it? Now then what level is his real power at right now? What floor was he actually on? Or did the others betray me in the end?"
"I don't know. But when are you going to let your child go kill someone again? He's been anxious ever since he came back…"
"Vito recently leveled up to level 5, so it would be impossible for him to grow again, normally anyway. And I really need him to kill Ardee Varma. That needs to happen."
"What do you have against that young woman in particular?"
"She's the key to pushing the wolf into despair, he won't be able to fight in that condition."
"He could turn to rage."
"Or there's something else that's been left overlooked?"
"I doubt it, I combed every story about werewolves there was to find in all of Gekai. There's nothing to be worried about. Besides, I still have those cards to play."
"Yeah, even if he's stronger, it'll take him some time, and effort to defeat those creatures, especially after I do to them what I'm going to do to you now, Vito."
"I'm ready, Lord Erebus, Give me the power I need to kill that girl." He cackled, licking his knife with a malicious intensity.
"You will die after this. For good, you know that right?"
"Dying is dying, but killing, oh I live for that! I want to die doing what I live for."
…