The howls rose in a jagged crescendo, growing more frantic by the second.
Ash Valor couldn't decipher the literal meaning behind the lupine cries, but he didn't need a translator. A crushing weight—a raw, psychic pressure—was bore down on the area, vibrating against his mind.
"Holy sht, something big is coming."
The intruder’s Willpower was immense, even slightly eclipsing Ash’s own. This wasn't just some Elite or a generic field boss. This was a true Overlord—potentially a Voidlord hailing from one of the Abyssal Prime Citadels.
Ash drew his bow, his fingers finding the familiar groove of the grip. He didn't care how deep their health pools were; if they entered his range, he was going to delete them. Dealing with a Voidlord was always a gamble—if they closed the distance, his chances of survival plummeted.
Wolfpack-36 tilted his head, his yellow eyes tracking Ash’s movements with surprise. "Ash, can you actually understand the Lupine tongue?"
Ash didn't answer immediately. He wasn't reacting to the sound; he was tracking the spiritual ripple of a predator. He didn't think the wolf-warrior realized just how sharp his senses had become.
"I don't speak the language," Ash replied, his voice low. "But I can feel the intent."
He could sense the shift in the atmosphere. The howls weren't filled with fear. They were saturated with an agonizing, unbreakable Battle Fervor.
"Facing a nightmare like this, and you lot are still this calm," Ash muttered. "I don't hear terror in those voices. I hear a refusal to kneel. You’d rather be torn apart than surrender."
"Bravery, grit, and zero fcks given," Ash added with a slight smirk. "That’s the Lupine way, isn't it?"
Wolfpack-36’s aggressive posture softened instantly. The snarling beast from moments ago was replaced by a warrior who looked at Ash with newfound respect.
Orion was right, Ash thought. Dealing with these wolf-kin is simple: just stroke their egos. If one compliment doesn't work, give them two. Orion really was a silver-tongued bastard; Ash had to give him credit for knowing how to play the local factions.
"I didn't think a Human could understand us so well," Wolfpack-36 said, his voice raspy with emotion. "Ash, I believe you now. You really did come to help. But this path leads straight into the Abyss. The Rift Gate is still open. You should run while you can."
Lupine logic was fundamentally different from human self-preservation.
"Thirty-six, listen to me," Ash said, stepping onto a pile of rubble. "A true Lupine doesn't retreat, even if the enemy is a hundred times stronger. Think of me as a lone wolf for the day. Besides... I’m actually pretty good at killing things."
If he wanted their trust, he needed to stop talking and start breaking things.
"Fine," Wolfpack-36 growled, a grim smile tugging at his snout. "If you won't leave, then we bleed together. Even if we die today, I’m going to tear a chunk out of their throats. In the next life, I hope you’re born a Lupine. We could have been brothers."
"We don't need a next life for that," Ash countered. "Brotherhood isn't about blood, Thirty-six. It’s about having the same enemies and the same conviction."
Ash triggered Stormwing, his spectral wings flaring as he vaulted onto the roof of a jagged wooden structure. Wolfcrag’s architecture was alien—brutal and functional—but it provided excellent lines of sight.
[Ding! You have triggered a War Quest: Kill the Grimwind Fortress Voidlord, Grimskull!]
A Voidlord. Finally. Ash had been looking for a high-value target, and the idiot had delivered itself right to his doorstep.
"Ash? You aren't seriously going to stand your ground, are you?" Wolfpack-36 called out from below.
"I don't make empty promises!"
Ash felt the monster before he saw it. It moved like a mountain of shadow, a juggernaut smashing through the outer districts. Buildings collapsed into splinters in its wake. Any Lupine defenders in its path weren't just defeated; they were pulverized into the dirt.
A booming, arrogant roar shook the foundations of Wolfcrag.
"Galehorn! You mangy mutt, come out and face me!"
"Today, Wolfcrag falls! Witness the descent of the Abyss, little wolves!"
"The Abyss is Eternal!"
Wolfking Galehorn didn't answer. The king was locked in a desperate struggle elsewhere on the front lines. Instead, a piercing howl erupted from the center of the city—a rallying cry that sent a surge of adrenaline through every Lupine warrior.
But Ash, with his hyper-tuned Willpower, felt the truth behind the noise. It was a sound of exhaustion, of a leader who knew the end was near. The Battle Fervor was high, but the power gap was an ocean that couldn't be crossed with spirit alone.
"Awoooo!"
The howls echoed from every alleyway, a tragic symphony of a race preparing for its final stand.
"Awoooo!"
Ash, caught up in the moment, let out a howl of his own. The second it left his throat, the tragic atmosphere shattered.
It was... off. Very off.
Hundreds of Lupine warriors stopped what they were doing and stared at the roof where Ash was standing.
"Was my pronunciation that bad?" Ash muttered, wincing as he saw the murderous glares from below.
Wolfpack-36 looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole. "Ash, for the love of the gods, shut up. If you do that again, I’m pretending I don't know you."
"I was just trying to boost morale!"
"Just... just stop. He's here."
Ash didn't have time to argue. A massive, obsidian-hued nightmare was slithering toward them. It looked like a mountain of rotting meat encased in chitinous armor.
"I expected something legendary," Ash muttered, peering through his tactical interface. "It’s just an overgrown Abyssal Dreadworm."
He let out a breath of relief. Dreadworms were high-health tanks, but they lacked the 'Awakening' reflection abilities that usually gave archers nightmares.
[Grimskull: Level 390 Overlord]
The giant worm left a trench of corrosive slime in its wake, turning the ground into a black, foul-smelling bog. Despite its bulk, it moved with a terrifying, rhythmic speed.
"Once Wolfcrag is dust, Peerless City is next!" the monster bellowed. "The Azure Prime will tremble! Galehorn first, then Evan Valor! None shall stand!"
Ash rolled his eyes. This thing was level 390, but its IQ was room temperature at best. It actually thought it could take on Evan Valor? Crimson Gaze was weaker than this thing, but at least that bat had brains.
"You’re just a bug with a big health bar," Ash whispered.
The moment the Dreadworm crossed the thousand-meter mark, Ash let fly.
"Skybreaker Volley XXX!"
The monster didn't even realize it was under attack.
"Who dares—"
Thwack-thwack-thwack!
Dozens of arrows, glowing with incandescent light, hammered into the creature's skull simultaneously. There was a sickening thud as the Dreadworm’s massive head slammed into the earth, his jaw shattering against the stone. It didn't get to finish its sentence. It died with an expression of pure, unadulterated shock.
"Voidlord or not," Ash said, hopping down from the roof, "you’re still just a mob."
[Planar Broadcast: Human Player Ash Valor has slain the Lord of Grimwind Fortress! All players in Azure Prime: All Stats +20!]
The entire battlefield went silent.
The Lord of Grimwind Fortress—the monster that had been the architect of Wolfcrag's misery—was dead?
"Ash Valor? The human?"
"How? He just... erased a Voidlord?"
"Must have been a Death Strike proc!"
To the Lupine, Grimskull was a recurring nightmare. It had been at the forefront of the siege since day one, nearly immortal due to its regenerative Aegis and its ability to split into smaller clones. It was the most hated creature in the region, and it had just been blinked out of existence without so much as a struggle.
Wolfpack-36 and his squad stared at Ash, their hands trembling as they pulled up his player profile.
[All players in Wolfcrag: All Stats +100!]
[All teleportation nodes in Grimwind Fortress are now disabled until a new Voidlord is crowned.]
In the eerie silence, Ash’s voice rang out, filled not with triumph, but with pure, unmitigated fury.
"What the hell?! This guy was a Voidlord! How does a level 390 boss only drop Gold-tier trash?!"
He stared at the loot, utterly disgusted.
[War Quest Complete: War Merit +100]
[Kill Count +1, War Merit +10, Random Stats +2, Level Up!]
[You have obtained: Gilded Helm (Gold-Tier)]
At least the experience was massive. Ash hit his next level instantly, and the shared XP sent Wolfpack-36 up four levels in a single burst.
Ash didn't stop to celebrate. He chugged a mana potion and started raining Tenfold Shots on the surrounding mobs while they were still dazed.
Wolfpack-36 looked at Ash as if he were seeing a god. "Ash Valor... I knew that name sounded familiar. You’ve been all over the Planar Broadcasts. I just didn't realize you were that Ash Valor. And you're brothers with Evan Valor?!"
"Who I am doesn't matter," Ash said, pivoting to target a cluster of Abyssal Knights. "What matters is what I can do. Stay sharp, Thirty-six. I’m going hunting."
"I'm coming with you!"
Ash hesitated. He didn't want to share the XP anymore; he needed to power-level to keep up with the scaling. But before he could refuse, a notification flashed in his vision.
[Wolfpack-36 has cast: Voidwalk!]
[You are now in a Voidwalk state: Invisible, untargetable by physical locks, and immune to most physical damage.]
Ash froze in his tracks. He looked at his transparent hands, then at the flickering shadow that was Wolfpack-36.
"Holy sht, this is a god-tier skill."
He looked at the wolf-warrior with sudden, intense focus. "I take it back. Brotherhood with the Lupine is exactly what I need. Thirty-six, we’re a team. Let’s go kill the biggest things we can find."
Ash’s Willpower was high, and he had the Eye of Clarity, but even he could barely see the wolf-man now. At a distance, they were ghosts. If Thirty-six was this broken at level 214, what would he be like at 300?
I am never letting this wolf out of my sight, Ash vowed. With this stealth, sniping bosses would be like shooting fish in a barrel.
Thirty-six beamed. "It would be an honor, brother. You focus on the killing; I’ll make sure they never see the arrow coming."
"Perfect. But we need to keep this tight. Just you and me. I don't want to split the XP too thin, and we need the mobility."
"Agreed."
"Good. You’re the captain of this two-man squad. If we hit the Planar Broadcast again, the glory goes to the Lupine. Battlebound Eternal!"
"Lupine Eternal!" Thirty-six roared, his eyes glowing with pride. For his race, honor was worth more than life.
"One more thing," Ash said, glancing at the wolf's powerful build. "In the heat of battle, I might need to use you as a mount. You cool with that?"
Lupine were proud creatures, and Ash expected a snap, but Thirty-six just laughed. "I’ll be your legs, Ash. I’ll carry you through the heart of the fire if I have to."
"And I’ll be your wings," Ash said, activating Stormwing.
Ash grabbed the wolf-man, his stealth maintaining even as they took to the sky. An invisible archer and a ghost-wolf, flying over the ruins of a battlefield. Ash tested a skill to see if the stealth would break.
"Mindshackle!"
A few hundred meters away, an Abyssal Widow suddenly turned and began disemboweling its own ally. The stealth held.
"We are going to be a nightmare," Ash whispered.
They flew over the charred remains of the city. The further they went, the more the scale of the disaster became apparent. Below them was a literal ocean of black—monsters packed so tightly there was no ground visible. In the center of that black sea was a tiny, stubborn speck of white.
The Lupine elites. The King’s guard.
"There are millions of them down there," Thirty-six whispered. "If that white circle breaks, the race is over."
Ash checked his mana. "I wish I had the juice to drop a Meteor Volley on that crowd." If Sera Ashford were here, she could rack up five million kills in a minute.
[Ding! New War Quests triggered!]
[Target: Voidlord Dreadmire]
[Target: The Webborn Voidlord]
[Target: The Darkwater Swarm Voidlord]
[Target: Spectral Warlord]
The notifications came fast, one after another. Ash gripped his bow tighter. "Talk about walking into the lion's den."
"Awoooo!"
A howl ripped through the battlefield. It wasn't the loudest, but it possessed a piercing, regal authority.
Wolfking Galehorn stood atop a shattered rampart, drenched in the ichor of a thousand monsters. The endless tide of the Abyss surged against him, but with every roar, the monsters in the front ranks collapsed, their hearts bursting from the sheer sonic pressure.
Behind him, his kin—warriors who had bled with him for centuries—stood in a razor-sharp wedge formation.
Galehorn was Level 362, one of the strongest beings in the Azure Prime. But even a king gets tired.
"I am Galehorn!" he shouted, his voice carrying over the din of clashing steel. "I have led you for one hundred and eighty years! I promised you Wolfcrag would be the jewel of the world. I promised we would number in the billions. I promised you glory."
He looked back at his battered army. "I failed. I failed every single one of you. We have retreated for centuries, and now, we have nowhere left to go."
"But we are Lupine! We do not die like dogs in the dark! Stand tall! Let the world hear us one last time!"
The warriors braced themselves, ready for the final, suicidal charge. Galehorn drew a breath to lead the final howl—
[Planar Broadcast: Human Player Ash Valor has slain the Lord of Grimwind Fortress! All players in Azure Prime: All Stats +20!]
Galehorn choked on his own breath. The dramatic tension evaporated instantly.
"Right," the King muttered, annoyed. "As I was saying! Brothers, we might not change the fate of this world, but we were here! We existed! I don't regret a single day spent at your side! Now, howl! HOWL AND CHARGE!"
He opened his mouth again—
[Planar Broadcast: Human Player Ash Valor has slain the Voidlord Dreadmire! All players in Azure Prime: All Stats +20!]
Galehorn snapped his jaw shut, looking visibly frustrated. "Is he doing this on purpose? Is he timing these broadcasts?!"
He looked around, searching for the human, but saw nothing.
"Ash Valor!" Galehorn roared at the sky. "Whatever you’re doing, thank you! But stop wasting your time! Run! Go to Peerless City and find Evan Valor! You’re too talented to die in this shthole!"
Ash didn't reply. His bow did the talking.
[Planar Broadcast: Human Player Ash Valor has slain the Lord of Grimwind Fortress! All stats +20!]
Galehorn went silent. "That’s the... what, fifth time the Lord of Grimwind has died today? Ash, you idiot, they just keep replacing them! It’s pointless!"
"Galehorn, you’re a coward!"
The voice came from thin air, echoing around the King.
"Ash? Where the hell are you?"
"I’m saying you’re a coward, and your whole race is acting like one! You’ve got a million elites and you’re talking about suicide? That’s not brave, that’s just stupid! My ancestors taught me one thing: you don't stop fighting until your heart stops beating!"
Galehorn scoffed. "Look at the numbers, boy! You want to be eaten slowly, or you want to die biting their throats?"
"I want to live, you moron!"
Ash didn't wait for a rebuttal. He was too busy cashing in War Merits. Every time a new "Lord" was crowned, he sniped them before they could even finish their introductory speech. The XP was delicious.
Suddenly, a new sound shook the sky. A roar so guttural and primal it made the lupine howls sound like whimpers. A massive, translucent white tiger manifested in the clouds.
"Galehorn! You miserable fleabag! Have a little faith in your allies, damn it!"
Galehorn looked up, stunned. "Dusk Whitmore? Has the White Tiger Bastion fallen?"
"Like hell it has!" the Tiger-lord roared, his massive form diving into the fray. "Even if the Azure Prime burns, the Bastion stands! I’m just here to make sure you don't do anything stupid!"
"Go home, Dusk! Don't throw your life away for a lost cause!"
"I am the King of Beasts! I go where I please! Tigren, to me! Guard the Rift Gate!"
Galehorn gritted his teeth. He hated being indebted to the tigers, but he began shifting his formation. He couldn't let Dusk die here.
Then, a third voice joined the chaos. Calm, rhythmic, and annoyingly cheerful.
"Wolfking, I’m here! Man, Dusk, you really beat me to the punch."
Evan Valor had arrived.
The man didn't look like a legend. He looked like a casual traveler, standing near the Rift Gate with a relaxed smile that seemed to radiate hope.
"Evan Valor, you absolute moron!" Galehorn screamed. "You’re the leader of the Humans! If you’re here, who’s guarding Peerless City? Get out of here before they trap you!"
Evan just waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, Galehorn. I’m just here to drop a few spells and leave. Invite me to the party, I’ll give you guys a couple of levels."
Ash watched from the shadows, awestruck. Evan Valor was nearly level 400.
"Frostfall Dominion!"
Evan tapped his staff. A wave of absolute zero swept outward from the Rift Gate, freezing everything in a hundred-meter wide path all the way to the Lupine lines. Tens of thousands of monsters were turned into ice sculptures instantly.
"Holy... that’s insane," Ash whispered.
"Ash Valor, stop gawking and help me clear the stragglers!" Evan’s voice rang out.
Ash didn't hesitate. He unleashed a flurry of Skybreaker Arrows, picking off the Elites that had survived the frost with slivers of health.
"Frostfall Dominion!"
Evan dropped a second nuke, clearing another massive swathe of the battlefield.
"Alright, that’s my contribution for the day! Catch you guys later!" Evan turned on his heel, exiting the party as casually as he’d entered.
"Wait, that’s it?" Ash muttered. "Two spells and he’s out?"
But then, a private Whisper pinged in Ash’s ear.
Evan Valor: "Ash, kid, listen. Cover my retreat. I think this was a setup."
Evan Valor: "And for the love of god, stop muting your messages! I’ve been trying to reach you for an hour. Orion and Caden are idiots for not giving me your contact info sooner. We’re both Valors, five hundred years ago we were probably family. Help a cousin out!"
Ash panicked. "Cover his retreat? Me?!"
Behind Evan, the "ocean of black" was reacting. The monsters didn't care about the Lupine anymore; they wanted the head of the Human Leader.
"Evan Valor, you fool!" a screeching voice erupted. A massive Steelspine Serpent soared into the air, its scales shimmering with a toxic sheen. "You thought you could just walk in and out? You’re the real prize!"
[The Ironblight Voidlord: Steelspine Rex, Level 400. Health: 3.84 Billion]
Ash looked at the serpent, then at his own health bar. 3.8 billion HP?
"Caden was right," Ash hissed, drawing his bow. "These 'legends' are all insane."
Evan was running for the Rift Gate, tossing out Tide Wraiths—massive elemental summons—to clog the path behind him.
Evan Valor (Whisper): "Don't worry about the snake, kid! Just keep the small ones off my back. And remember: hide your trump cards. Don't let them see everything you’ve got!"
"I’ve already shown them everything!" Ash yelled back, though he knew Evan couldn't hear him.
Evan stopped for a second, looking back at the encroaching horde of Voidlords. He raised his staff high, looking like a god of thunder.
"I am Evan Valor! I guard the Azure Prime!"
"DOOMSPARK!"
The sky shattered. Hundreds of bolts of violet lightning hammered down, each one finding the skull of a high-level monster.
[Planar Broadcast: Human Player Evan Valor has slain...]
[Planar Broadcast: Human Player Evan Valor has slain...]
A string of notifications flooded the server.
"Evan, I thought that skill was called Violet Wrath?" Dusk Whitmore shouted from the fray.
"I renamed it! Sounds cooler!" Evan laughed, then glanced at Ash. "That’s a one-year cooldown, kid. Tell them that so they think I’m vulnerable."
Evan Valor (Whisper): "It’s actually a one-month cooldown. I’ll be back next month to harvest more heads. Keep 'em busy!"
With a final wave, the legend stepped through the Rift Gate and vanished.
Ash stood there, bow in hand, staring at the space where the strongest man in the world had just been.
"I’m supposed to cover... that guy?" Ash muttered. "The Azure Prime is doomed. We are absolutely screwed."