Chapter 39 – The Unbound Wolf
Three days had passed since the Revenant battle.
The mansion of Lin Xuan lay beneath a tranquil dusk, silent except for the rhythmic pulse of glowing runes that covered the recovery chamber walls. Crimson-gold sigils drifted in the air like fireflies, pulsing with a sacred warmth that threaded through the boy's body lying motionless at the center of the formation.
Vaibhav's skin shimmered faintly beneath the formation light, every breath shallow yet steady. His aura — once turbulent, jagged like a storm — now flickered like a dying ember struggling to return to flame.
Beside him, Alicia sat slumped in a chair that looked far too grand for her exhausted form. Her long silver hair clung to her cheeks, darkened by streaks of tears. Three days. She hadn't moved from that spot in three days.
The sound of the formation was like a heartbeat.
Warm. Steady. Hopeful.
Alicia's fingers wrapped tightly around Vaibhav's. Even unconscious, his hand was warm — alive. That alone kept her sane.
Her voice trembled as she whispered,
> "You always do this. Always pushing until there's nothing left. If you die again…"
Her tone cracked.
> "I'll never forgive you."
She pressed her forehead against the back of his hand, tears spilling freely. The golden runes flickered in sympathy, reacting faintly to her spiritual energy.
For hours, the chamber remained still.
Only the gentle hum of healing arrays, the faint rise and fall of his chest, and her uneven breathing filled the silence.
Dawn.
The first rays of morning light slipped through the crystal ceiling, scattering across the runes. The arrays flared gently as Vaibhav's eyelids twitched.
Then—
His eyes snapped open.
He inhaled sharply, his body jerking upright as if pulled from the depths of a nightmare.
The first thing he saw was Alicia.
Her eyes were wide, her lips parted in disbelief before the tears broke free all over again.
He blinked once. Then, without hesitation, his hand moved — almost instinctive — pulling her into a trembling embrace.
> Vaibhav: "You're safe… thank god."
His voice was hoarse, ragged, but real.
> Alicia: "Idiot… you were the one who almost died."
Her fingers clutched the back of his robe, as though letting go would send him back to that blood-soaked battlefield.
> Vaibhav (softly): "Guess I still owe death a rematch."
Alicia pulled back just far enough to glare at him through her tears.
> "You say that again, and I'll hit you even harder than the Revenant did."
He smiled faintly — and that simple expression shattered the tension that had clung to the room for days.
A cough sounded behind them.
> Lin Xuan: "Ahem. Kiddo, at least look around you before getting all dramatic. You've got an audience."
Vaibhav blinked. He turned his head — and froze.
Across the chamber stood nearly everyone he knew within the mansion.
Shin, grinning ear to ear like an idiot.
Prabhat, arms folded but clearly relieved.
Anika and Daichi standing close, both smiling faintly.
Theo leaning against the wall with his usual half-smirk.
Arjun and Vivan whispering something about betting on when he'd wake up.
And Yan'er, eyes bright with joy.
> Shin (grinning): "Bro, control yourself, hehehe."
Vaibhav squinted.
> Vaibhav: "Next time you laugh like that, I'll feed you to your own shadow."
Shin froze, mock gasp. "Ah, he's back. The threat generator returns!"
Laughter burst across the room. Even Lin Xuan's lips twitched slightly, and for the first time in days, the suffocating heaviness lifted.
Alicia exhaled, leaning back in her chair, relief washing over her features.
> Lin Xuan: "Good. You're conscious. That means the recovery formations did their job."
> Vaibhav: "How long was I out?"
> Lin Xuan: "Three days. If you were any later, I'd have buried you with honors."
> Vaibhav (deadpan): "Touching."
The others snorted.
> Lin Xuan: "Don't get too comfortable. I need you to inspect your Sea of Consciousness when you've recovered. Something… changed."
Vaibhav frowned. "Changed?"
Lin Xuan nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly. "When I tried to stabilize your spiritual flow, I sensed something new inside you. Ancient, boundless… and sleeping."
Evening.
The recovery arrays had dimmed by the time the group reconvened in the training hall. A faint mist coiled through the air — remnants of the mansion's spiritual energy.
Vaibhav sat cross-legged at the center, eyes closed. The others stood at the periphery, watching silently.
With a slow exhale, he sank his consciousness inward.
The moment his mind touched the depths of his inner world, he felt it —
A roar.
Soft. Distant. Yet enough to make the surface of his consciousness sea tremble.
The once-peaceful ocean of energy now teemed with life. Countless spirit beasts — scavengers, serpents, ravens, and beasts of lesser power — swam restlessly through the fog-like currents. Yet every single one of them… was trembling.
Not out of chaos. Out of fear.
Their eyes were turned toward the center.
There, on a small crystalline island of light, something tiny floated.
A small white wolf pup, curled up and sleeping soundly.
Despite its size, the aura emanating from it was suffocating — ancient and unbound. Threads of silver light circled it like orbiting moons, each pulse shaking the very foundations of his sea of consciousness.
Vaibhav's eyes widened internally.
"What… the hell?"
A familiar blue light shimmered before him.
[SYSTEM PROMPT]
> Name: The Unbound Wolf
Type: Companion
Level: Venarae Resonance — Exalted
Status: Evolvable
Battle Mode: Locked
Vaibhav stared at the floating text, momentarily speechless.
Then, beneath the prompt, a faint option blinked:
> [Summon]
Without hesitation, he clicked it.
Light burst outward from his chest — a flare of white and silver.
The mist in the hall trembled as runes briefly danced in the air.
When the light faded, a small creature tumbled out of the glow and onto the ground with a soft thump.
Everyone froze.
It was… fluffy.
A tiny white wolf pup, barely the size of a cat, its fur glistening like powdered snow under moonlight. Its eyes were an otherworldly silver-blue, reflecting the room's runes like mirrors.
It blinked twice, yawned — a squeaky little sound — and then promptly wobbled over to Lin Xuan… before biting his sleeve.
> Lin Xuan (deadpan): "Why does this look like a dog? Isn't it supposed to be a wolf?"
The pup's jaw tugged harder.
> Yan'er (gasping): "Brother Lin! Don't be mean! It's so cute!"
> Alicia (smiling softly): "Look how tiny he is… his fur's like snowflakes."
Lin Xuan lifted his sleeve with the pup still dangling off it.
> Lin Xuan: "Cute? That thing's a literal monster."
Even as he said that, the pup let go, sat down, and wagged its tail — completely ignoring him.
> Shin (snickering): "Maybe it just doesn't like your fashion sense."
> Lin Xuan (flatly): "Do you want me to train you again, Shin?"
Shin took a graceful step backward. "Nope, just observing. Scientifically."
Everyone laughed again, warmth filling the hall.
The pup eventually turned toward Vaibhav, tilted its head, and made a soft "Awoo?" sound before walking over and rubbing its head against his leg.
The moment it touched him, a wave of tranquility spread through his core. His unstable energy settled instantly, his breathing deepening.
> Alicia: "He… likes you."
> Vaibhav (smirking): "I'd hope so. He's literally living in my head."
He knelt down, scratching gently behind the pup's ear. "Guess I'll need a name for you."
The pup barked once, eyes gleaming faintly with light.
He looked into the wolf's eyes — eyes that seemed to reflect distant stars — and whispered,
> "Viggy."
The runes around the hall pulsed, reacting to the name as if acknowledging it. The pup yawned, unbothered by cosmic recognition, and then climbed onto Alicia's lap, curling into a tiny ball before falling asleep.
Later that Night
The hall quieted as the group dispersed. Only Vaibhav, and Alicia remained.
Vaibhav looked at the pup, sleeping peacefully on Alicia's lap.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
The two shared a brief, quiet smile before she leaned back, exhaustion finally catching up.
The white wolf shifted in her lap, letting out a soft whine as if sensing her fatigue, then nestled closer.