CHAPTER 128: BLOODSHED AMONG THE WOLVES

As the first howl echoed outside the city, the city guards and other relevant personnel swiftly took action. Various adventurers who had been engaged in casual conversations rushed off to gather the necessary supplies from their residences or shops.

The source of the howl was obvious. It was sharp and prolonged, a typical winter wolf's cry. Unlike the ordinary wild wolves that had first attacked Wang Yu, winter wolves were low-tier magical beasts. They possessed a magic crystal within their bodies, marking their evolution beyond mere animals into true magical creatures. This granted them certain spell-like abilities and a significantly more robust physique.

Ordinary hunters found it difficult to hunt such physically formidable and magically adept beasts. While regular bows, crossbows, and blades could injure them, merely wounding a winter wolf was often enough to provoke a lethal counterattack before it perished.

Professional adventurers, however, typically had little interest in hunting winter wolves. Their pelts and the ice-attuned mana crystals they carried were not particularly valuable. More importantly, their population wasn't dense enough to make hunting them worthwhile. However, the annual beast tide presented a lucrative opportunity.

After a long winter of dormancy, large numbers of winter wolves would emerge en masse, migrating toward areas with sufficient food sources for their packs. In the process, they inevitably clashed with human settlements.

Conflict naturally occurred. Before people understood the patterns of these beast tides, many villages had been destroyed as a result.

But once the nature of these beast tides were known, a systematic response developed. The city guard would dispatch units to protect smaller towns near the monster-infested forests, while some adventurers would voluntarily head to the outskirts of the capital to hunt down these winter wolves.

Killing these not-so-powerful creatures was certainly profitable when they appeared in such great numbers. This had been common practice for over a decade. Despite the ongoing war this year, the beast tide itself was a simple natural phenomenon.

Aside from the occasional casualties caused by a wolf king or a pack leader appearing unexpectedly, these migrating winter wolves posed no real threat to the capital.

This year, however, the beast tide had arrived earlier than expected, which was why adventurers were now hurrying to make last-minute preparations. Otherwise, they would have been ready in advance.

The first wolf howl was a signal. Soon, multiple howls echoed through the forests outside the city. Winter wolves had relatively high intelligence for animals, and their cries carried far on the wind.

Through these vocal exchanges, the pack leaders coordinated their movements. In about four to five hours, the wolves that had survived the winter would gather and begin a mass migration. The next crucial signal would be the distinct, commanding howl of the wolf king.

After a season of scarce food, the winter wolves would be at their weakest. The beast tide functioned not only as a threat against other creatures but also as natural selection for the wolves themselves. The weak would perish due to various factors during the migration, ensuring that only the strongest genes were passed onto the next generation.

The streets became increasingly filled with adventurers. Wang Yu realized that all these people were gearing up for the hunt.

Monster materials were always in high demand. Such materials were a universal currency of sorts—essential in alchemy, herbalism, and even some divination.

Walking through the streets, Wang Yu observed that none of the adventurers appeared tense. Even ordinary citizens continued their daily routines as usual. He was reassured by the sight.

Clearly, this so-called "beast tide" was nothing like the catastrophic waves of monsters common in Earth-based fantasy, which had the potential of destroying entire cities or even nations. It made sense—this was merely a seasonal migration driven by natural instincts. Its destructive potential was inherently limited.

What truly impressed him, though, was how astonishingly resilient this world's ecosystem was. As far as he knew, no species had ever been hunted to extinction due to over-exploitation by humans. Every year, the adventurers of the capital killed tens of thousands of winter wolves, yet their population never seemed to dwindle.

Since there was nothing particularly alarming about the situation, Wang Yu decided to head home. He still hadn't figured out how to awaken his latent potential, and he had a few treatises he was hoping to study before attempting to integrate it into his body.

Just as he was about to leave, however, his communication crystal vibrated. Edward's name was displayed.

"What's up, Edward?"

"Wang Yu, I'm planning to take part in the beast hunt. Do you have time? I'd like to work with a teammate."

"Sure, I haven't seen a beast tide in action before. But what about Charles? Didn't you ask him?"

"Charles? I tried to contact him, but for some reason, I haven't been able to reach him for a while. I'm not sure what he's up to, so I came to you first."

"Probably something related to his house. Remember his expression during the royal ceremony? No need to worry about him—he's not the type to get taken advantage of."

"True. Alright then, see you outside the city."

"The eastern gate?"

"Yeah."

Wang Yu put away his communication crystal and checked his gear. His alchemy pouch was always with him, and the Spellweaver's Tome was securely fastened at his waist. Seeing no need for further preparation, he set off.

He couldn't quite understand why Edward, the son of a grand duke, would be interested in hunting winter wolves, an activity typically disregarded by nobles. Then again, Edward had never really behaved like a noble.

For Wang Yu, the beast tide was an intriguing phenomenon unique to this world. Hunting a few winter wolves seemed like an interesting experience. The entertainment was rather limited in this world, and hunting was as good a pastime as any.

Along with countless other adventurers, Wang Yu walked toward the eastern gate that led to the monster-infested forest beyond the capital.

A loud, drawn-out howl pierced the sky. Within the forest, whirlwinds began to form. The snow that had accumulated throughout the winter swirled, and frost-covered branches shook as the snow was lifted and tossed into the sky.

From the exterior of the forest, it looked as if white tornadoes were forming from deep within. Snowflakes were carried upward before scattering in all directions at the peak of the vortices. Though the sky had been clear, snow suddenly started to fall over the forest.

"The wolf king has awakened. Get ready—it's about to start. Make sure the traps are set. The first hunt of the season depends on these little bastards."

A burly, scar-faced warrior with a shaved head squatted on the snow-covered ground, sharpening his massive sword with a whetstone. His voice carried loudly as he shouted to his comrades.

"Stop barking nonsense, Ohm. What good is sharpening that lump of metal? Your sword doesn't even need an edge. Just knock them out instead—if you cut too deep, the pelts will lose value. That'll come out of your share."

A tall, lean man in a white cloak emerged from a snowbank, blending perfectly with the snowy terrain.

"Ryan, you don't get it at all. Mwah—" Ohm kissed his greatsword passionately. "My sword's like my second partner."

Ohm was unruffled. He lifted his greatsword, which was almost half his size, and kissed it in an exaggerated fashion.

"Disgusting. If that's your idea of romance, should I start kissing my bear traps?"

Ryan made a face of exaggerated disgust, though he didn't retreat back into the snow. His traps were ready.

"You two have been working together for three years now—aren't you tired of bickering yet? Set everything up. Once this snow disperses, we need to act fast and take down as many wolves as possible. With all the war expenses, the wolves are worth far more this year."

A woman in thick winter clothing retrieved alchemical bombs from her pack and began preparing a scent-masking potion.

"Fine, fine." Ohm shrugged. "After this, let's leave the capital. It's getting too chaotic—demons and all. My hometown's safer."

"For once, I agree with Ohm," Ryan said. "The black market's been a mess lately. There've been too many strange deaths. His village sounds better."

"Alright, let's do that. We've earned enough over the years anyway," Therese agreed.

As an alchemist, her physique wasn't as honed as her two companions'. The capital had been a hotbed of unrest lately, and there was no reason to stay there any longer.

"Awoo!" The second wave of howls echoed from deep within the forest. The swirling snowfall began breaking apart into smaller blizzards, each drifting toward the forest's edge. The beast tide had officially begun.

Ohm stopped talking. He hefted his heavy sword and took the lead.

"We've had good luck." Ryan whistled. A pack of winter wolves was heading straight for them. He uncorked a vial of Therese's scent-masking potion and drenched Ohm and himself. Then, he burrowed into the snow and disappeared from sight.

Therese retrieved specially prepared alchemical bombs from the crate and looked toward the distant trees, which had begun to tremble under the force of the blizzard.

Soon, a large pack of wolves, their bodies pure white and significantly larger than their Earthly counterparts, charged out of the forest.

The mana cores within these winter wolves resonated in close proximity, generating a localized blizzard that swirled around the pack. While the blizzard wasn't particularly lethal, it posed a significant nuisance—arrows and similar projectiles would be rendered ineffective.

"Hm, there's quite a few of them." Therese assessed the pack, which contained dozens of wolves, before tossing an alchemical bomb from her hand.

The bomb detonated in mid-air, releasing a wave of special energy that disrupted the resonance between the wolves' magic and the surrounding blizzard.

A second alchemical bomb followed. The three hunters, prepared, had shut their eyes tightly and put earplugs in place well in advance.

A blinding light burst forth in the sky, accompanied by a deafening roar that rippled outward, shaking the snow-covered ground.

This was akin to a stun grenade, which was highly effective against beasts. The explosion would soon plunge the wolves into chaos and panic. In every world, wild creatures were instinctively sensitive to intense light and sound.

Ohm was the first to open his eyes. His role was to drive the pack forward, forcing the panicked winter wolves into Ryan's hidden traps beneath the snow.

But something was wrong. The winter wolves before him hadn't seemed to react. Instead of scattering in confusion, they continued their charge, their focus locked onto him.

For a split second, Ohm was frozen in place as a crushing sense of danger overtook him. These winter wolves should have been thrown into disarray. And during a beast tide, migration was their primary goal; if they were unimpeded, they would not attack. After being hit by a stun grenade, their instincts should have driven them to avoid him entirely.

Yet these wolves bared their fangs, growling low in their throats. Their crimson eyes locked onto Ohm. They surged toward him, radiating unmistakable, frenzied bloodthirst.

"Stay back!" Ohm's eyes filled with terror. As a mid-tier knight-in-training, killing a few winter wolves was no harder than slaying dogs. But the sheer number before him—his fear of death crushed him in an instant.

He swung his greatsword in a horizontal arc, slicing two wolves cleanly in half. The rest of the pack showed no fear. They swarmed over their fallen brethren, unfazed by the blood and entrails now staining the snow.

Claws raked across Ohm's armor, tearing through the leather and leaving deep gashes in his flesh. Razor-sharp fangs sank into his throat, severing his arteries and sending a fountain of blood spraying into the air.

Dozens of winter wolves piled onto Ohm, burying him beneath their writhing bodies. His screams were drowned out by the frenzied howls of the pack.

Blood dyed their pristine white fur crimson. The scent of blood drove them into a deeper frenzy. More! More blood!

Ryan had blinked the glare away from the stun grenade just in time to see the bloodsoaked pack of wolves hurtling toward him, trampling over Ohm's mangled corpse.

Steel traps snapped shut around their legs and crushed their bones, but the wolves showed no sign of stopping. They simply pressed forward, heedless of the pain, their bloodlust undiminished. Ryan barely had time to let out a scream before he was overwhelmed. His neck was torn apart by countless snapping jaws, his body reduced to a shredded mass of flesh and gore.

"They've gone mad! They're all insane! What's happening?!" Not far away, Therese stared in horror at the winter wolves. They weren't behaving as expected at all—they had slaughtered her comrades in mere moments. She was paralyzed by fear.

As the wolves turned their bloodthirsty gaze toward her, she let out a desperate, terrified scream.