A heavy silence fell after the White Wolf King finished his story.
The residents of Wolfbane, though all werewolves, hadn’t all been privy to the plan to mold the White Wolf King. Many had been kept in the dark.
Moreover, the werewolves were a tight-knit community, and the White Wolf King had received a great deal of kindness from them.
Now, looking back, both Mike and the White Wolf King could see the key players in this twisted game.
The puppet master behind the scenes had sought to create a more powerful Wolf Alpha and had chosen the White Wolf King as their pawn.
As part of their plan, every resident of Wolfbane, regardless of their involvement, had to be silenced.
And what better way to eliminate them than to manipulate the White Wolf King, in his vulnerable state, into doing their dirty work?
Whoever had orchestrated this plan, their ruthlessness was undeniable.
Having slaughtered an entire town of werewolves, burdened by guilt and aware of the puppet master’s existence, the White Wolf King had only one option left: to become stronger.
He had to venture out into the wilderness, uncover the truth behind his past, and rise to become the next alpha of the werewolves.
In a way, the puppet master’s plan had succeeded. They had indeed created a powerful werewolf.
If the White Wolf King could break through the barrier at level 989, the title of alpha would undoubtedly be his.
The White Wolf King’s story had come to an end.
But there was another story to be told, the story of the replica.
Why were there over thirty thousand White Wolf King corpses in this valley?
Even if Mike hadn’t asked, the White Wolf King would have explained.
“This valley is called the Valley of the Fallen Wolves. There’s a legend in the wilderness that when an alpha grows old, they come here to die. And from their remains, a new alpha emerges, ready to lead the pack into a new era.”
This legend was widespread throughout the wilderness.
The White Wolf King gestured towards the valley. “I don’t know where this Brookfield Town came from, or why my younger self appeared in the wilderness. But I know what I was trying to do when I came here.”
No one knew a person better than themselves.
The moment the White Wolf King had laid eyes on the Valley of the Fallen Wolves, he had understood.
Mike remained silent.
The White Wolf King had been a pawn from birth, manipulated into killing an entire town of his own kind.
Some of those werewolves had deserved their fate, but many were innocent victims. With his limited power as a youth, the White Wolf King had been powerless to resist the puppet master. The difference in their strength was simply too vast.
But there was another path he could take: the Valley of the Fallen Wolves.
He could choose to die here.
A pawn, unable to escape the player’s control or overturn the game, could at least choose to break free from the board.
It was a radical choice, but one that fit the White Wolf King’s personality.
So why hadn’t the real White Wolf King chosen this path?
The answer was simple: he sought revenge. He had to find the puppet master and make them pay for their crimes!
Only after settling this score would the White Wolf King face his own judgment.
Until then, he would keep moving forward.
The replica White Wolf on the 30th floor, on the other hand, hadn’t committed any atrocities, nor was he burdened by the weight of vengeance. He was free to choose this path.
Finally, Mike understood why there was no cycle on the 30th floor!
The key to activating the cycle lay with the young White Wolf King.
When he followed the course of history, returning to Wolfbane and reliving the bloody full moon massacre, the cycle would begin.
The White Wolf King would be trapped, forced to repeat this tragedy for all eternity.
But that hadn’t happened.
Because the young White Wolf King, recognizing his predetermined fate, had chosen to fight back with everything he had.
He would rather die than let those bastards use him!
Leaping into the Valley of the Fallen Wolves was his act of defiance.
The White Wolf King had taken the cycle upon himself.
Fuck destiny!
That was the origin of the thirty thousand White Wolf corpses.
A gentle breeze carried the faint scent of blood.
Man and wolf sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts.
After a long while, Mike spoke. “Have you ever considered something?”
“What’s that?” The White Wolf King turned to the young man beside him. Even the proud alpha treated Thor as an equal.
“Many have come before you,” Mike said, rising to his feet. He brushed his hands together and walked towards the edge of the valley. “Morpheus was here. Ares was here. Apollo was
here.”
He spoke with conviction. “They must have left their mark on this floor, in their own unique
ways.”
Confusion flickered in the White Wolf King’s eyes. “What are you getting at?”
“I’m saying your worries are unfounded.” Mike pointed towards the world beyond the valley. “I am the fourth potential Supreme Being of the human race. Three generations have come
before me.”
“What they couldn’t achieve, I will. This floor’s cycle ends today.”
As he spoke, the rising sun illuminated his face, his eyes shining with unwavering
determination.
“I’m breaking this cycle today. And when you find the puppet master behind all of this, when
you finally get your revenge, I’ll be there to back you up!”
Of course, there would be a fee for his services.
But now wasn’t the time to discuss such trivial matters.
Mike would save that conversation for later.
As long as the White Wolf King was willing to pay the price, Mike would be there, even if their
enemy turned out to be a demon god.
The White Wolf King’s spirits soared as he listened to Thor’s bold declaration.
However, he was no longer the naive youth he once was.
Time and hardship had tempered him, turning him into a seasoned, composed leader.
He wouldn’t simply charge headfirst into danger after a few inspiring words.
“What if we fail?” he asked, his voice heavy with the weight of his past.
What if they couldn’t break the cycle?
What if everything was predetermined?
What if even a child of destiny was powerless against fate?
The White Wolf King believed in preparing for the worst.
But his question didn’t faze Mike.
“Even if I fail,” Mike said with a grin, “there will be a fifth potential Supreme Being. And a
sixth, and a seventh…”
“There will always be another.” He pointed towards the heavens, his gaze unwavering.” You
think we’re afraid of a tower?”
Coming from Thor, those words didn’t sound arrogant; they sounded like a statement of fact.
Mike turned to the White Wolf King, his mind already strategizing their next move.
“Let’s assess our current situation.” He began ticking off points on his fingers. “First and
foremost, breaking the cycle is our top priority.”
The White Wolf King nodded in agreement.
Breaking the cycle was in both their best interests.
Mike needed to achieve a 100% Exploration Rate with all three factions and break the cycle to
obtain an SSSSS rating.
The White Wolf King, on the other hand, needed to break free from this loop and confront his past to achieve his final breakthrough.
“If all goes well, once the cycle is broken, I can attempt to reach level 990. It’s a crucial step
towards becoming a deity.”
“However,” the White Wolf King added, his voice grave, “there’s a catch.”
Before Mike could inquire further, the Eye of Truth provided the answer.
[To reach level 989, a werewolf must obtain the current Wolf Alpha’s approval or defeat them
in combat]
That complicated things.
“Do you know the current Wolf Alpha?” Mike asked, his brow furrowed.
Defeating the Wolf Alpha seemed like a risky proposition.
It would be much simpler to obtain their approval and then proceed with the breakthrough.
The White Wolf King shook his head slowly. “The title of Wolf Alpha has changed hands many times over the centuries. Before I made a name for myself, the Wolf Alpha at the time vanished without a trace.”
“Then the Tower of Truth appeared, and I was trapped in that cycle for three hundred years.”
“It was only after breaking free that I sensed the presence of the current Wolf Alpha.”
He hesitated for a moment, then confessed, “The current Wolf Alpha is powerful. Far more powerful than I am. I wouldn’t stand a chance against them.”
This was proving to be more troublesome than anticipated.
“So, you’re saying you don’t know who the Wolf Alpha is, and you’re certain you can’t defeat
them. Which means your only option is to obtain their approval?”
The White Wolf King nodded. “That’s right.”
“What if…” Mike began, a theory forming in his mind. “What if the current Wolf Alpha is
actually one of the human Supreme Beings?”
The White Wolf King chuckled dryly. “The current Wolf Alpha isn’t that strong.”
He then added, “I can say with absolute certainty that the Wolf Alpha is below level 999. No,
below 995! They haven’t reached level 1000, that much I’m sure of.” “Alright, I have a general idea of the situation. There’s no point in dwelling on it for now.
We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” Mike knew they had to take things one step at a
time.
“Finally, there’s the matter of our hidden enemy.”
“The Nature Elf Envoy,” Mike continued, analyzing their situation. “They’re out there
somewhere, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.”
The White Wolf King nodded in agreement.
“And then there’s the wilderness wolf you mentioned earlier. That’s another loose end I’d like
to tie up.” “The wolf that bit you, the one that triggered your transformation,” Mike said, his voice calm
and analytical, “it was a wilderness wolf. And the Wolf Alpha you mentioned, the strongest in history, was also a wilderness wolf.”
“He was,” the White Wolf King emphasized. “But I can assure you, the current Wolf Alpha is far stronger than he ever was.”