"What do you mean, the Ancient Ones no longer exist?"
Faust was bewildered by Mephistopheles's cryptic remark. According to the information he had gathered in the Fog Moon Kingdom, it was precisely the rampage of the Ancient Ones that had caused the Moon Deity to seal off the entire nation. Even now, they were supposedly locked in a tangled, unending struggle with these beast gods.
Yet here it was, telling him the Ancient Ones were gone. If that were true, what had the people been fighting against during the night of the hunt for the past century?
【It is not that they do not exist at all. I did indeed sense the cluttered auras of beast gods at first, so I naturally assumed there would be a lively fight, but the reality is quite different.】
【Now, aside from the divinity of the blood moon, the only ones who can truly be called beast gods are the wolf Ancient Ones entrenched in the forest. Their auras are... truly formidable monsters.】
Mephistopheles's voice was part sigh, part mockery:
【I suppose it must be said that only for the purpose of setting the stage for a witches' feast would such monsters be allowed to appear. They are not pretty, nor are they beautiful, but they are certainly interesting enough.】
Once the carriage left the town, it entered the forest.
The woods of the Fog Moon Kingdom were somewhat eerie. Although the moonlight outside was clear and bright, the atmosphere turned cold and gloomy the moment they entered the thicket. The light struggled to penetrate even the relatively sparse canopy.
It felt as if they had entered a different dimension altogether.
In truth, it was effectively just that.
"The forest is the boundary between the wilderness and civilization. This is the territory of the Ancient Ones. Our enemies have always lurked within these woods, which is why the forest is a forbidden zone. Only a handful of elite, veteran Hunters have the confidence to traverse it."
Alkin stood on the roof of the carriage, one hand gripping the reins to control the startled horses and the other holding a silver hand crossbow as she explained things to the curious foreign prince.
Faust stood on the roof as well, pulling a broadsword from Alkin's tactical box.
"Then why is the headquarters of the pack located in the middle of a forest surrounded by enemies?"
"Because the leaders of all the families in the pack were the very first Ancient Ones to be converted by the Great Moon. It is difficult for the Ancient Ones to descend upon civilized lands. Besides, they need to suppress the other Ancient Ones."
So, they shared the same origin.
Faust was already starting to feel that something was off. Based on the destiny script of 《Little Red Riding Hood》 and Mephistopheles's reconnaissance, he felt this trip wouldn't be as simple as it seemed.
Swish—
Just as the Prince was about to warn Alkin, she suddenly pulled the reins and fired a bolt into the dark thicket.
The silver-tipped bolt streaked through the air like a cold flash of light, vanishing into the brush, followed immediately by a hoarse howl.
"You beasts hiding in the shadows, why bother lurking? Come at us all at once! Fresh flesh and blood are right here! Come bite, come feast! If you can manage it, that is!"
Alkin skillfully handled the reins of the frightened horses, driving the carriage forward into the depths of the forest as she let out a wild, manic laugh.
"Hahahaha!!! Come and tear at my throat! But I am the tide, and you are but drifting weeds!"
As if provoked by the girl's laughter, several beasts with hideous silhouettes lunged out from the dense shadows, only to be struck in the eyes by crossbow bolts, collapsing to the ground with pained whimpers.
The white wolf emptied her crossbow, then kicked the tactical box with the toe of her boot, causing a flintlock pistol to spring into her hand.
Bang, bang, bang—
Three rapid shots killed the frenzied beasts leaping down from the canopy.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. The beasts blocking the carriage's path were cleared away, though more and more began to chase the intruders from behind.
Alkin responded by raising her spear and piercing the lunging frenzied beasts without even looking back. She maintained a speed that kept them just out of reach before she winked at Faust.
"I visit Grandmother's house often. It gets a bit lively along the way, but don't worry, I'm here."
"By the way, how would you rate this sense of security? Does being protected by me earn me any points?"
Faust actually took a moment to think seriously before saying, "It's not bad. I'll give you an eight. Your affection level just went up by two points. Keep it up."
Receiving positive feedback from the Prince, the white wolf raised a triumphant fist like an excited child.
"Yes!"
The drama of being chased by beasts through the dark forest lasted the entire night. During this time, the pack of frenzied beasts truly never stopped, but with Faust and Alkin working together, it wasn't difficult to manage.
By putting aside 【Great Thunder】 and using the specialized weapons of a Hunter, Faust was able to slaughter the frenzied beasts with ease.
He knew he wasn't some scrub!
It wasn't until dawn that the pursuing pack gradually vanished, and the carriage, which had been racing all night, finally slowed down.
Ruts from previous wheels appeared in the forest floor as Alkin guided the carriage onto a proper path.
"We're almost there. This is the wolf ancestral lands where Grandmother lives. Legend says this is where the pack was first converted by the Moon Deity, gaining human forms and minds to become true sons of man."
Faust was certain the wolf-eared girl wasn't a lone wolf because she was incredibly talkative, chatting incessantly with him almost the entire night and occasionally humming a few tunes.
As the carriage continued forward, the narrow forest path suddenly opened up. Accompanied by the flickering of bright light, what appeared before Faust's eyes was...
A vast sea of red roses.
As far as the eye could see, the sprawling plains were covered in brilliant, beautiful roses, interspersed with a few other plants, presenting a magnificent and shocking beauty.
The visual impact was even more pronounced after surviving a night of slaughter in the shadows.
Even Alkin couldn't help but let out a soft sigh of admiration.
"I haven't been here in over a year. The last time was when I was titled a Champion. No matter how many times I see it, it's still breathtaking."
In the center of the sea of roses, an exquisite and ornate mansion sat atop a hill. That was undoubtedly where the family ancestor resided.
The carriage drove through the field of roses. In front of the mansion, a squad of wolf-kin was already standing guard.
One of the wolf-kin plucked a vibrant rose, held it to her nose to catch the scent, and then bowed elegantly to Alkin.
"Greetings, Champion of the Fenrir family."
Her pitch-black, shoulder-length hair was combed neatly and smoothly. Her face was a blend of charm and refinement, and her crimson eyes held a faint, inscrutable smile.
Her beautiful, slender figure was wrapped in a leather gothic black dress, looking like a black rose about to bloom, while her shapely, fleshy thighs beneath the short skirt were a dazzlingly bright white.
"Sylvia? Why are you here?" Alkin asked in confusion.
"After I defeated you at the Hunting Assembly, did you really end up coming here to guard the ancestral lands? I was wondering why I hadn't seen you since then... Sigh, if that's the case, I really do feel like I've committed a grave sin."
Sylvia shook her head and smiled meaningfully.
"I have come to witness a magnificent sacrifice, to see a brilliant flower wither."
Rate on N.U.
