Tony's eyes rolled back, and his limbs trembled as if struck by lightning.
In the blink of an eye, his whole body collapsed into a pool of thick blood.
No trace of his body remained.
A tall, upright figure stood quietly in the woods.
"Junior brother..."
Tafman met Allen's gaze, his face filled with guilt, his voice dry.
"I... I'm sorry, Master, I'm sorry to everyone..."
"Go ahead! I won't complain if I die at your hands, Junior brother!"
Alan sighed.
He strode forward and embraced Tafman.
"My silly senior brother..."
"How could you have thought I was coming after you?"
Tafman looked bewildered.
"Junior brother... I'm a traitor, don't I deserve to die?"
Alan put his arm around his shoulders, shook his head, and sneered.
"Brother, I know you have your reasons, and I understand your choice."
"Things may change, but it's not impossible for the Beast Cult and the South Island Federation to reach a truce or even form an alliance in the future."
"What will the victims of today be tomorrow?"
Tafman paused, then lowered his voice and asked, "Brother, are you... disloyal to the South Island Federation?"
"Loyalty? Haha..."
Alan smiled sadly.
"Brother, Quint Island is my hometown."
"I was born and raised here. Every tree and blade of grass, every street and alley, every neighborhood and villager, all made up my childhood."
"But look at what it has become now?"
"The cult has invaded Quint Island and ravaged the people here. For three years, has the South Island Federation done anything?"
"Did Rahul and his ilk bring liberation to my hometown, or did they cause even greater suffering?"
"The tragedy on Quint Island is not an isolated case."
"Second Brother, have you ever considered the nature of this war between the North and South Islands?"
Tafman was speechless.
But he already had the answer in his heart.
"This war is essentially a dog-eat-dog struggle for profit between the warlock families that rule the North and South Islands Federation and the cultists who are taking advantage of the situation!"
Alan said in a deep voice.
"No matter who wins or loses this war, the people will not have an easy life."
"In a war without justice, loyalty itself is a joke!"
"Second Brother, you and I both come from the common people. In the academy, we've often been looked down upon by those aristocratic children."
"What good is it to serve those high-ranking nobles and young ladies, serving as pawns and cannon fodder on the front lines?"
"So-called enemy and friendly camps are all empty talk."
"Only brotherhood is real!"
Alan sighed and continued:
"Brother, you are too kind and upright. This is your strength, but also your fatal weakness."
"I don't object to you joining the Beast Cult. I've only come after you because I'm worried you'll be bullied by people like Tony."
Alan had already seen Tony's hatred of Tuffman and his malicious schemes clearly through his telepathy.
Taffman's heart felt like it had been struck hard.
He couldn't help but feel a sore nose and reddened eyes.
He hugged Allen tightly, saying everything.
Allen patted his shoulder.
"Brother, to gain a foothold in the Beast Worship Cult, besides being cautious in your words and actions and clinging to Beiting's support, you must possess more solid assets."
"As a sorcerer, there's no asset more reliable than your own bloodline."
"If you trust me, I'll help you strengthen your bloodline and improve your talents."
"Brother! In this world, no one is more trustworthy than you!" Taffman said without hesitation.
Allen smiled with relief.
He immediately began to help his second brother fuse the bloodline of the Barbarian Bull.
Taffman had already fused the bloodline of the Werewolf.
Combining a minotaur, a werewolf, and a bull—three in one—costs two points of potential.
Alan named the resulting bloodline "Beastly Bull."
Its potential was so great it rivaled Tanya's giant-horned bull bloodline!
Alan injected the essence of the combined bloodline back into Tuffman, giving him a dose each of the "Heaven-Replenishing Potion" and the "Age-Freezing Potion."
Finally, Alan picked up the wolf statue and absorbed its potential.
"Consume special ingredients: Divine Power-Infused Bone Marrow!"
"Potential +3!"
"Spirit +1!"
Current Attributes: Constitution 34, Agility 27, Spirit 47
Potential Reserve: 5 points
Alan closed the system page.
He returned the drained Wolf God statue to Taffman and whispered, "Brother, keep in touch. I need your intelligence on the Beast Worship Cult."
"If you need any information about our situation, you can also ask me."
"Establish a firm foothold in the Beast Worship Cult and rise to prominence soon."
"It will benefit me, my mentor, and my senior sister."
"So, we will all support you and find opportunities to help you achieve merit and be rewarded!"
"Brother, I understand your good intentions!"
Taffman shook his hand solemnly.
"From now on, we two brothers will watch over each other and work together!"
"Also, there are Beast Worship Cult undercover agents inside South Island College, and they're quite powerful. Be careful!"
"Don't worry, brother. I'll be on guard. You should take care too!"
Alan and Taffman shook hands for the last time.
The two brothers turned simultaneously, each pursuing their own path.
…
On the other side of the dense forest.
Under the pale moonlight.
Two female giants faced each other from afar.
Beiting, at the fourth level of her ancestral form, transformed into an eight-meter-tall wolf-girl!
Tanya, at the fourth level of her ancestral form, transformed into a ten-meter-tall bull-witch!
The two female giants roared in unison and pounced upon each other.
A fierce battle raged in the forest, earth collapsing, rocks cracking, and grass and trees flying!
Beiting activated "Beastial Burst," her eyes crimson, gleaming with cruelty and madness.
A pair of wolf claws, infused with fourth-level "Armed Dou Qi," equivalent to a level-two enchanted weapon, possessing both "Silver Refining" and "Cold Iron" properties!
Phantom Step!
Wolf girl Beiting vanished into a cloud of silver mist.
He dodged Tanya's sweeping roundhouse kick just in time.
Bang!
The boulder behind him shattered under the Bull Witch's leg!
At the same time, Beiting teleported behind Tanya.
A hint of ecstasy crossed her ferocious face.
She poured all her strength into her wolf claws and fiercely clawed at Tanya's back!
Crack!
The sharp claws sliced through the Bull Witch's armor, making a teeth-grinding metallic sound and sending sparks flying!
Beiting's all-out blow only left two shallow scratches on Tanya's back.
Not only did it fail to penetrate the Bull Witch's sturdy armor, but it actually broke her own nails.
Beiting gasped!
Her heart sank to the bottom of her chest!
Tanya turned calmly, a cold smile on her face. "You're too weak, only fit to tickle me!"
Beiting suppressed her humiliation and anger, her figure flashed, disappearing once more into the silver mist.
"Haha! You're using that trick again?!"
Tanya suddenly took a step forward amidst a sneer.
BANG!
Earthquake!
The earth shook, sending sand and rocks flying!
The thunderous sound of footsteps reverberated through the forest!
Beiting couldn't even complete her teleportation before the shockwave from the ground sent her stumbling and nearly falling.
Hound's stride!
Tanya instantly closed in, slamming her with an explosive palm strike.
Like a thunderclap, Beiting was sent flying.
Bloody blood gushed out of her mid-air!
"Die!"
The Bull Witch roared.
The ground beneath her feet, unable to withstand the sudden immense pressure, exploded into two large craters!
At the same time, Tanya, using the recoil from her footsteps, suddenly leaped forward!
Like a cannonball, she roared out of a gun barrel, hurtling straight towards Beiting.
Mountain Collapse!
Beiting, holding onto a boulder, supported herself and stood up.
Blood streamed from the corners of her mouth, her eyes filled with horror and despair.
This time, she was completely overwhelmed by Tanya's defeat.
She no longer had the courage to resist.
Just then, a figure suddenly burst out from the forest, blocking Beiting's way and shouting urgently at Tanya:
"Senior Sister! Show mercy!"
"Tafman?!"
Tanya's face paled slightly, and she quickly retracted her strength.
Bang!
A fierce elbow strike slammed into Taffman's chest.
Tanya temporarily held back, but still managed to pummel Taffman until he vomited blood.
Beiting, the wolf girl, stared blankly at the tall, muscular figure falling toward her.
She couldn't help but reach out and embrace Taffman, who had sacrificed his life to save her.
A strange emotion welled up in her heart...
Tanya, across from him, watched her second disciple collapse into the wolf girl's arms, blood gushing from his mouth.
Surprise, anger, and regret flashed alternately in her eyes.
A suffocating atmosphere of murderous intent, accompanied by a strong stench of blood, permeated the dim, dense forest.
Tanya raised her hand and clenched her fist, her joints cracking.
If she so desired, neither the wolf girl Beiting nor the traitors to her sect would escape the wrath of these iron fists!
However…
Tanya ultimately couldn't harden her heart enough to commit the murderous act!
"Tafman…"
She demanded coldly.
"This woman harmed you, and yet you risked your life to save her…"
"Tell me, why did you do such a foolish thing?!"
Tafman struggled to sit up from Beiting's embrace.
He said, his face filled with self-blame, "Senior Sister, I'm sorry… I don't know why I did such a foolish thing. Maybe… it's because I'm stupid."
"Tafman, oh Tafman, what can I say to you?!"
Tanya's teeth clattered, her frustration growing.
"Is it worth risking my life for a cult witch?"
In her eyes, Taffman was clearly bewitched by the wolf girl, driven by so-called "love" and reckless.
Beiting's arms tightened as she embraced Taffman.
Her chest pressed against his back.
Their heartbeats seemed to resonate in sync.
After a brief standoff, Tanya closed her eyes.
Her expression was agonized and painful.
Suddenly, with a flick of her hand, she slashed the towering tree beside her, nearly as thick as a man's arms, in half!
BANG!
The half-tree crashed to the ground with a resounding roar!
Beiting, the wolf girl, turned pale with fear!
Taffman's forehead was covered in cold sweat.
But he still managed to hold on, facing the demonic Senior Sister head-on, shielding Beiting behind him.
Leaves fluttered, dust settled.
Tanya slowly exhaled, as if exhausted both physically and mentally.
After venting her anger, she finally made a difficult decision.
She waved a hand in disgust at Taffman and Beiting.
Through gritted teeth, she uttered a cold remark.
"I don't want to see you two again... Get out of here!"
Beiting suppressed her ecstasy and helped Taffman to his feet.
Fearing that Tanya would change her mind, she raced to cast the fourth-level spell "Anywhere Door."
She vanished into a circle of silver light, carrying Taffman with her.
In the blink of an eye, the two were teleported 400 meters away!
After escaping danger, Beiting immediately transformed herself from a stray dog into the demeanor of a Wolf Princess.
While giving Taffman medicine, she berated him profusely.
"You fool! Who allowed you to come back?"
"You think you're too old, don't you?! Where's Tony?"
"Tony and I were attacked during our retreat, and Tony tragically died..." Taffman's face was filled with grief.
Beiting's face froze, and she couldn't help but blame him for failing to protect Tony and the Wolf God statue.
"It's my fault I couldn't save Tony, but..."
Taffman opened his storage bag and took out the Wolf God statue.
Beiting quickly took it and examined it.
Confirming the statue was intact, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She looked at Taffman with a touch of tenderness. However, his words were as harsh as ever.
"Foolish big guy, you have good luck!"
"Hmph! No wonder they say fools have good luck!"
Beiting put away the wolf statue and rummaged through her storage bag.
She pulled out an injection, shoved it into Taffman's pocket, and said unhappily:
"Remember to get one after you recover!"
"If nothing goes wrong, you can awaken the second-level 'Wind Signal'!"
"Don't rush forward foolishly when you encounter danger in the future!"
"Remember to send me a letter and ask for my instructions immediately! Got you?"
"Thank you, Miss." Taffman nodded solemnly. "For your sake, I won't die easily."
"Hmph! That's more like it!"
Beiting tucked her arm around his, a faint smile on her lips, like a little bird resting on her side.
Taffman took the injection Beiting had gifted him, but his mind was on…
With this "Wind Signal" awakening potion, it would be much easier to contact Junior Brother Allen in the future.
…
On the other side of the woods.
Tanya watched Taffman and Beiting leave, lost in thought.
At that moment, familiar footsteps sounded behind her.
Tanya sighed, canceled her atavism, and transformed back into her human form.
A cloak was handed to her from behind and gently draped over her shoulders.
Tanya adjusted her collar and leaned into Allen's arms.
She lowered her eyes, her voice bitter.
"Junior Brother, I'm sorry..."
"I just couldn't bring myself to kill that traitor."
"I'm sorry I showed you my weakness..."
Alan put his arm around her waist and whispered, "Me too."
The brother and sister cast one last glance in the direction Taffman and Beiting had left, then left the jungle hand in hand.
...
The Beast Cult suffered an unprecedented defeat on Quint Island!
The bat and rat warlock teams were completely annihilated.
The wolf warlocks lost their last elite troops during the night of the jungle chase, leaving only Beiting and Taffman to escape.
Of the four Beast Cult factions on the island, only the insect faction remained.
Led by Spanner, they occupied the southern countryside.
The central and northern parts of Quint Island were under the control of the South Island Warlocks.
The great cause of restoration seemed largely accomplished.
However, this was only a temporary victory.
Spanna and Beiting had already joined forces.
This force would be difficult to eliminate in a short period of time.
What made the people of South Island even more uneasy was...
The South Island Federation had performed poorly on other battlefields and was in a rapid retreat.
As nearby islands fell one after another, Quint Island was passively highlighted, becoming an isolated "enclave."
It was easy to imagine.
As the war continued, the enemy would inevitably deploy more troops to Quint Island until the island's resistance was annihilated.
The letter Pansen sent for assistance had finally received a response.
South
The island's federal headquarters promised to send a fleet for support.
Neither the Pansons nor Allen dared to hold out too high hopes.
They feared enemy reinforcements would arrive before their own fleet arrived.
This worry was not unfounded.
In the past two days, Allen had received secret letters from Spanner and Tuffman.
Spanner's twin sister was about to lead a group of insect-type sorcerers to Quint Island to support her sister.
Caroline's eldest daughter, Spantha, possessed a higher level of cultivation than her sister, having reached the late fourth stage.
She was also said to have fused the essence of the "Phase Spider" bloodline, mastering the ability to freely travel between the spiritual and material worlds.
Coming and going without a trace, killing without a trace!
Tuffman, too, had bad news.
Beiting's brother, Akbar, the eldest son of the Wolf King, was furious upon learning that all the wolf warlocks on the island had been wiped out!
"Wolf Prince" Akbar, having completed his own combat mission, would also head to Quint Island to support his sister.
"Wolf Prince" Akbar's strength was on par with "Spider Princess" Spencer.
Two late-stage fourth-tier beastmancers, along with their respective subordinates, would face annihilation should they land on Quint Island...
The South Island Warlock Group would likely face annihilation!
Compared to future threats, the current situation was even more troubling.
Years of war had left Quint Island teeming with displaced refugees.
With the liberation of Quint Town, a massive influx of refugees arrived.
The streets and alleys were filled with throngs of beggars.
Among them were many beastmen.
Every infected person was a ticking time bomb! Although they look like normal people now, they transform into beasts on full-moon nights, unable to control their bloodlust.
How can we clean up this mess? This is undoubtedly an urgent problem.
Within the South Island Warlocks, there are two opinions on this matter.
Most believe that the refugees' lives should be ignored.
They deserve to die of starvation. All beastmen, once discovered, must be executed! If the problem can't be solved, then the person who caused it must be dealt with.
Alan is all too familiar with this approach. Pamela did the same thing back on Magic Stone Island.
Pantheon and Tanya, along with the commoner-born warlocks, couldn't bear to kill innocent people.
They proposed opening the granaries to release food and provide relief to the victims.
The town's food reserves are limited, and refugees are pouring in.
If this continues, we'll have at most a month before all our food reserves are gone!
What happens next?
Pan Sen and Tanya, father and daughter, can't come up with a long-term plan.
Alan naturally sided with his teacher and senior sister.
He supported opening the granaries to release food and provide relief to the victims.
He even took the initiative to take on the difficult task of curing the beastman.
A single drop of his blood could completely cure beastmanship.
But he wasn't some living Buddha who sacrificed his own flesh to feed the tiger.
He wouldn't shed his own blood to save tens of thousands of refugees.
In fact, there was no need.
Using a single drop of blood as a spell material and combining it with liquid alchemy,
Alan could instantly transform a bathtub full of water into a potent cure for beastmanship.
Enough to cure all the infected on the island!
Alan named this miracle cure "Pansers Holy Water."
"Pansers Holy Water" is effective for only one day.
It can treat lycanthropy, but it can't prevent it.
These two shortcomings make it inferior to Alan's blood.
But for those in urgent need of treatment, it's enough.
Tonight will be another full-moon night marked by a spree of beast madness.
Early in the morning, a notice was posted on the bulletin board in the town square.
…
At 12 noon sharp, the miracle cure for lycanthropy—Pansers Holy Water—will be distributed free of charge!
The holy water is limited to 200 units and will be distributed by lottery.
Who will win?
It all depends on luck.
…
The news spread.
The town square was immediately surrounded by a crowd. Pantheon and Tanya led the sorcerers in maintaining order at the scene.
Alan personally distributed the potion named after his own surname.
The patients who drew lots to receive the potion were half-believing and half-doubting.
The small potion was a pale red.
It smelled faintly of blood.
Could this so-called Pantheon Holy Water really cure lycanthropy?
With a sense of apprehension, the people took the potion.
Afterwards, following the sorcerers' instructions, they gathered in the square and waited.
Outside the square, the onlookers engaged in a flurry of discussion.
Everyone generally believed that the sorcerers weren't completely confident in the efficacy of this potent potion.
Otherwise, why would they keep the people who took the potion at the scene for observation?
As the people discussed, the sky gradually darkened.
A full moon, like a silver disk, hung in the night sky.
Those infected with the beast disease who hadn't won the lottery...
became agitated.
Unable to control their beastly blood boiling, they transformed into half-human, half-beast forms.
Alan raised his hand and unleashed the "Poison Cloud" spell.
The fragrance of the Queen's nectar enveloped the crowd.
The beastmen, stimulated by the moonlight, smelled the aroma, and their frenzied demeanor immediately calmed.
And in the center of the square, those who had taken the medicine...
Bathed in the silver moonlight, their demeanor and behavior remained as usual.
No signs of beast transformation at all!
The ironclad facts were before everyone's eyes.
Fellow villagers! Panthes' holy water truly works!
This explosive news spread quickly throughout the town.
The South Island Sorcerer's headquarters was tightly surrounded by townspeople seeking to buy potions.
Tanya felt that since Allen had already proven his medical skills publicly, he should seize the opportunity to distribute the special medicine in large quantities and cure all the lycanthropes on the island.
Allen, however, smiled and shook his head.
Producing enough Panthes Holy Water to cure all the patients was a piece of cake for him.
However, what good would that do him?
Again, he was no saint.
The premise for doing good was to be profitable.
The next day.
A new notice was posted on the bulletin board in the square.
In this open letter to the entire town, Allen stated helplessly:
"Due to a shortage of medicinal materials, we are currently unable to provide Panthes Holy Water."
So, where could he get enough medicinal materials?
Silvermoon Island.
Therefore, holy water isn't sold separately.
"Anyone willing to immigrate to Silvermoon Island can come and get a ticket."
"Once the immigration ship is full, everyone will board with their ticket."
Upon arriving on Silvermoon Island, the shortage of medicinal herbs was resolved.
Alan promised all immigrants:
"Everyone will receive a free bottle of Panthes Holy Water!"
In fact, two years ago, Alan had taken approximately one-sixth of Quint's population, sailed across the ocean, and settled on Silvermoon Island.
In recent years, the occasional immigrant would return home to visit their families and tell them about their comfortable lives on Silvermoon Island, earning them envy.
Therefore, Alan didn't need to spend much effort advertising.
In the minds of the locals, the name Silvermoon Island had become synonymous with a paradise!
In fact, everyone had long wanted to immigrate.
The reason they hadn't set out for the past two years was that the wealthy couldn't bear to leave their possessions, and the poor couldn't afford the boat tickets.
Now, the entire town of Quint has been destroyed by war, and every household's few possessions have been smashed to pieces, leaving no trace of attachment.
Upon reaching Silvermoon Island, most people have relatives or friends to stay with.
Compared to the unfamiliar first wave of immigrants two years ago, their situation is much better.
Thanks to the ancestral spirits, the kind-hearted Panthers provided holy water and boat tickets free of charge.
Everyone was eager to board the boat and escape the devastated Quint Island as soon as possible!
Heading to Silvermoon Island, they could rely on relatives and friends and rebuild their homes.
The reason Allen went to such great lengths, distributing holy water and boat tickets, was to supply population to Silvermoon Island's New Quint Territory!
The New Quint Territory still held vast tracts of uncultivated virgin land.
More immigrants would provide more labor to cultivate wasteland, expand territory, and boost economic prosperity.
Alan didn't deny that he was taking advantage of the war to recruit refugees and strengthen his power.
For the South Island Federation, this behavior constituted poaching and exploiting the situation.
However, did the major sorcerer families that ruled the South Island Federation ever consider the lives of the people?
Are these noble lords worthy of the people's loyalty?
When doing good deeds, we judge by deeds, not by intentions.
The refugees, filled with gratitude, honored Alan as a great benefactor.
Alan, in all honesty, truly deserved the title!