Silence blanketed the area.
A faint scent of blood lingered in the air—the blood of the wolf injured by my domain.
The alpha still knelt before me, unmoving. Maybe frozen by my offer.
"B-But how?" the alpha asked, his voice laced with confusion.
"Hmm… to put it simply, I can help you evolve into a stronger version of yourself." I replied nonchalantly.
"But… why?" the alpha's voice dropped, unsure.
"I can't bring back the ones I've killed. But I can do this—to help you survive." I said, my tone even.
The alpha hesitated, eyes flicking with conflict, as if something unseen gnawed at his mind.
"I'm not asking for anything in return. If you want, you can follow me. But you won't be able to enter cities and such—you'll have to stay in the forest. Still, it's your choice." I clarified.
"I'm grateful for your help. But we… do not wish to follow, human." the alpha declared firmly.
"I understand. So, do you want the power or not? I'll warn you—it'll hurt. A lot."
"But we won't follow you." he repeated, confused by the contradiction.
"I heard you. And I don't mind." I replied calmly. "You helped my daughter. And it's because of me your pack was weakened. This isn't a trade. You owe me nothing."
"Papa, what are you going to do to them?" Liora asked, peering from the pelt.
I turned to her, a thought stirring in my mind.
"If it still bothers you, come meet my daughter again someday. She'll be happy to see you." I said to the alpha.
The alpha exhaled slowly—a breath of release. Maybe he finally understood I meant no harm.
'I'm grateful to them… but this is also a good chance to test my skill.' I thought, without guilt.
"Please… make us stronger." the alpha said, bowing his head.
"Choose any four members of your pack to evolve first. Then you." I instructed.
'I don't want to change them all. That would risk wiping out the entire shadewolf species, especially if they're the only ones left…' I weighed the odds.
The alpha howled. Four wolves stepped forward.
"Liora, papa will help them get better and stronger. Don't worry—they said they'll visit you again someday." I told her, hoping to ease her tension.
"Okwy." she replied in her soft voice, finally calming down a little.
"Liora, get inside now. The wolves are gonna do poo poo, you don't want to watch that." I tried the oldest trick in the book.
"Eeeeeeew! Nooo! Liora will go inside!" she cried, diving into the pelt to hide.
'How do I do this, Sebas?'
[ Please state the entities and desired class, Master. ]
'Give these four wolves the Axe Orc Warrior class.'
[ The chosen entities' stats are insufficient for the class. Their bodies will undergo reconstruction, followed by extreme pain. ]
[ Do you wish to proceed? ]
'Proceed.'
The wolves' eyes flared red. A terrible, guttural scream tore from their throats—but they stayed upright, bracing themselves against the agony.
'The alpha must have told them. The will to protect their pack… it runs deep in this species.'
I heard the unmistakable crack of bones snapping. Flesh split open—legs, chests, jaws—bursting with sickening pops as their forms twisted unnaturally.
Shattered bone jutted from their bodies. But instead of dying, their flesh began to regrow around the shattered frames—swelling, healing, transforming. Like regeneration. No—evolution.
Their skulls restructured beneath fresh layers of flesh and sinew.
Then—stillness.
The process was complete.
The four wolves now towered nearly 2 meters tall, even while on all fours. Their claws looked like honed obsidian blades, deep black and glinting menacingly in the dim light. Their fur was thicker, almost fluid in motion—black waves that would shimmered like ink under moonlight.
Their jaws widened. Eyes sharpened. Their howl? Strong enough to send tremors through the trees.
'How strong are they compared to the alpha, Sebas?'
[ They are individually weaker than the alpha. However, three working together can defeat him, Master. ]
'That's impressive.' I mused, a thought sparking.
'I should name them something… How about Voidfang, Sebas?'
[ Excellent choice, Master. ]
"This new form of yours shall be called Voidfang from now on."
I turned to the alpha.
"Now, it's your turn."
The Voidfang wolves stepped aside—two on each side, clearing a path for their leader.
"They've become incredibly strong. I doubt I could beat them all alone. Maybe… but even then, I think we'd all die in the end." the alpha admitted, clearly impressed.
'You were right, Sebas. Factor in possibilities of all the units perishing like this next time too.'
[ Understood. ]
"I'm ready." the alpha said, bracing himself.
'Sebas, assign the Orc Warrior (Champion) class to the alpha.'
[ Understood. ]
[ The entity's stats are mostly compatible. Only minor pain will follow. ]
[ Alert: The entity is already an evolved being. Evolution will trigger moderate mental pain. ]
'Special evolution, huh? Interesting. Proceed.'
"Grrrr…"
The alpha growled low—but nothing drastic happened.
No bursting flesh. No crushed bones. Only a slight twitch of pain.
"I… don't feel anything different" he said, puzzled.
Silence pressed in from all sides.
I stared at ground thinking.
'Did it fail?' I wondered, gaze dropping to the lengthening shadows.
Suddenly we were covered by shade. The sky darkened—thick clouds rolling in, thunder grumbling as if the heavens doubted.
When I looked back front, the alpha stood unmoving. But the air around him crackled—an omen of something foreboding.
Unease coiled in my chest. I took a cautious step back; I looked around and the other wolves had already retreated.
The alpha's eyes—once amber—had gone gray: It had no depth it was just... flat, lifeless, like paint on a page.
The thunder rumbled, louder now, yet no raindrops fell.
My gaze swept the forest floor—and it was gone, swallowed by an inky void.
Darkness swallowed a vast patch of earth, then recoiled, funneling itself toward the alpha in a living tide.
He remained unmoving, as if daring the darkness to touch him.
Then, from that shifting shadow, pale hands clawed out—long fingers coiling around the alpha's ankles.
Black, whip-like tendrils lashed from the gloom, wrapping across his jaws and snaking over his chest, cutting off the last vestiges of light.
'Should I interfere? I don't know if I can deflect that… Yet it's fascinating. I want to see what happens.'
In an instant, the shadows merged into a living shield around the alpha—an obsidian dome that swallowed every outline.
I stood watching everything that was happening.
Fissures spiderwebbed across the shield's, tiny cracks appeared outward.
Then a single, thundering crack echoed as something massive forced its way out.
From the heart of the shadow-shield sprouted a colossal egg—its glossy surface as dark as a storm-tossed sea, gnarled roots of shadow anchoring it like a blackened tree.
'What in the world…?' I thought, my breath catching.
Before I could gather my thoughts, a fresh fracture ripped down its center,
lightless and deep, as though the egg itself was tearing reality apart.
'This is moving too fast.' I thought.
Thunder rolled overhead, wind snapping tree branches, yet I heard the alpha's deep breaths reverberate through the shield. Two crimson eyes glowed from within the egg.
More cracks sprouted from its shell as it burst open—one shape shooting skyward. A bolt of black lightning struck, incinerating the shattered shell and scorching the forest floor.
I lifted my head—astonished. Before me hovered a titanic figure: wolf-like and humanoid, still as big as the trees. Its fur was a living void—black, rippling like fire. Muscular limbs ended in razor claws; its chest heaved with power. Blades of shadow formed along its forearms, and flames of midnight flickered in its mane and tail. Its lupine muzzle held an expression of supreme arrogance.
A heartbeat later, it vanished—teleported away.
"Master."
The voice echoed; the creature reappeared from the darkness, kneeling before me.
"Please… bestow a name upon me, Master." it rumbled.
My pulse raced at the sight of such creation.
'Hmmm… I can't think of something right now. Sebas, would you like to name him?'
[ It would be an honor, Master. ]
A blue panel shimmered before me.
[ It means King of the Night. ]
'That's perfect.' I smiled.
"As I speak, let this wind carry my decree across the world: when the light of hope fades, darkness shall arise. From that darkness, you emerged. As night falleth, all shall bow before thee. Henceforth shalt thou be known as Nocturnis Rex."
"Thank you, Master." Rex replied.
Slowly, the Voidfang wolves returned, bowing in reverence behind him.
"Why waste such power on me, Master?" Rex asked.
"You are their leader. To protect the pack, you needed at least this strength." I answered.
I turned to the Voidfangs. "You are now the guardians of your pack. Your leader can't save you all alone—you must defend one another."
I stepped forward, running a hand over one's fierce muzzle.
"Liora, look—they're finished. Do you want to pet them?" I called.
Thankfully, I cut the sounds for her.
Liora tumbled out of the pelt, eyes sparkling as she approached.
"Papa, what happened to them?" she asked.
"I made them stronger. Now they can run and play as much as they like." I said simply.
"PAPA! That one is hurt." Liora pointed in her sweet, wavering voice.
'Even her angry shout was adorable.'
I spotted the wolf I'd injured earlier, limping.
"Papa, help him...." she urged.
"I said four, but for my daughter, I can make an exception." I replied.
'Sebas, buy me the Minor Self-Healing skill. I want to try something.'
to be continued....