Mike frowned, puzzled by Apollo’s prophecy. “The rest makes sense, but what does ‘the town empty’ mean? Are we supposed to kill everyone in Brookfield Town?”
Dracula opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated. He had been about to suggest they try protecting the town first. If they succeeded in breaking the cycle, everyone would be happy. If they failed, well, the villagers would still be alive, ready to be sacrificed if necessary.
As a former high-ranking member of the blood clan, Dracula was ruthless when it came to making tough decisions. Or perhaps, that was simply how he viewed the world.
The problem was, Thor wasn’t like that.
Dracula had only spent a short time with Thor, about ten days in total.
Against enemies, Thor was merciless.
But he had his own code of ethics.
He never harmed the innocent.
This baffled Dracula.
If Thor had been a cold, calculating individual, willing to do whatever it took to achieve his goals, Dracula wouldn’t have batted an eye.
It was Thor’s unwavering moral compass that made Dracula hesitate, holding back his suggestion.
Vladimir, observing the exchange, chuckled. “You’re getting smarter, you old fool.”
Clearly, Vladimir had reached the same conclusion as Dracula.
Unlike Dracula, however, Vladimir had spent more time with Thor.
Dracula couldn’t understand why Thor would go out of his way to protect the innocent and the weak, why he would willingly shoulder burdens that weren’t his to bear.
Vladimir knew the answer.
It was simple.
There had been three potential Supreme Beings before Thor.
The first, Morpheus, had set the tone for human powerhouses.
Thor protected the weak because he, too, had been protected by those stronger than him when he was weak.
Shadow Nine, Maxen, Calderon… even Joseph had stood before Thor, fighting on the front lines against the abyss.
Thor treated others with kindness because Morpheus had treated the world with kindness, and Morpheus had hoped the world would treat everyone with kindness in return.
The second potential Supreme Being, Ares, was a hothead with a strong sense of justice.
If Thor had strayed from the path of righteousness, Ares wouldn’t have hesitated to show him the true strength of humanity’s greatest swordsman.
As for the third….
Well, there was no need to discuss the third.
Mike knew one thing for sure: Apollo found everything boring. His only source of amusement seemed to be observing the growth of humanity’s potential Supreme Beings.
Even if Thor had decided to obliterate the Tower of Truth with his lightning, Apollo wouldn’t have said a word.
In other words, Morpheus had shaped Thor’s heart, Ares had shaped his actions, and Apollo expected Thor to think for himself, to become a template for future generations.
That was how Thor had become the person he was today.
Over the past thirty floors, Thor had grown and become stronger at an alarming rate.
Others might not have noticed the change as keenly, but Vladimir had known Thor since the 10th floor.
Now, on the 30th floor, he had fully embraced his role as a blood clan traitor, dedicating himself to serving Thor!
That spoke volumes.
Dracula’s suggestion remained unspoken, a silent agreement reached between them.
No one in Brookfield Town would die. Not yet, anyway.
As for what the future held, they would cross that bridge when they came to it.
“As for the ‘journey east’ part,” Mike said, breaking the silence, “I don’t think it refers to us. I think it means the White Wolf needs to journey east.”
“That makes sense.” The White Wolf King nodded, ready to set off and find the young White Wolf, redirecting him away from the Valley of the Fallen Wolves.
Meanwhile, Mike remained in Brookfield Town, focusing on accumulating Exploration Rate.
Finding Remus had earned him 60%. He needed another 40%.
With the Eye of Truth’s guidance and Vladimir and Dracula’s assistance, the Exploration Rate climbed rapidly.
Within half an hour, Mike had achieved a 100% Exploration Rate.
If he chose to leave now, he would receive an SSSS rating.
But that wasn’t Mike’s style.
“Vladimir,” he said, summoning his loyal servant. “Go to these coordinates and find a man named Malphite. Tell him to protect the town for the next few days.”
He paused, then added, “And tell the people living underground to relocate to Brookfield Town. You’ll stay with Malphite and ensure their safety. Contact me immediately if anything
happens.”
“Yes, Master! Consider it done!” Vladimir transformed into a bat and sped towards the
coordinates Mike had provided.
Dracula watched him go, his expression unreadable.
It was clear that Thor trusted Vladimir more.
Despite Dracula’s superior strength, he was kept close to Thor, never given the opportunity to
operate independently.
Dracula snorted inwardly.
Thor’s trust?
He didn’t need it.
Mike, oblivious to Dracula’s inner turmoil, gathered the others and set off into the wilderness, searching for the White Wolf King and the young White Wolf.
It didn’t take long to catch up with the White Wolf King.
He had been traveling slowly, mindful of Thor’s progress.
“You’re here.”
Two white wolves, one massive, the other still a pup, continued their journey through the
wilderness.
The White Wolf King glanced towards the northwest, his voice laced with a hint of unease. “Thor, take the young one and head east. I sense a powerful presence in that direction. It’s…
familiar.”
“Hold on.” Mike rejected the White Wolf King’s suggestion to split up. “Apollo gave us a prophecy. We’re going to follow it to the letter. Are you suggesting you know better than my
third brother?”
The White Wolf King couldn’t argue with that.
“Journey east, dog devours the sun…”
Mike remembered the order of the phrases clearly.
“Bro, the ‘dog devours the sun’ part is up to you.”
Dracula chuckled, glancing at the White Wolf King. “After all, a wolf is just a dog, and a dog is
just a wolf.”
White Wolf King: …
“Oh, and one more thing,” Mike said as they continued eastward. “I took a stroll around
Brookfield Town earlier.”
The White Wolf King turned to face him, his eyes filled with confusion. What was wrong with
Brookfield Town?
“Ever since I met Remus’s mother, something’s been bothering me. I just confirmed it.”
Mike’s voice was firm. “There are only humans in Brookfield Town. No werewolves.”
“Only humans?” The White Wolf King frowned, his brow furrowed in disbelief.
That couldn’t be right!
He was certain the townsfolk were all werewolves.
After learning the truth from the old hunter, he had peeked through the windows one night
and witnessed several townsfolk transforming.
They were all werewolves! “Like I said before, many have come to this floor before us,” Mike explained.
Clearly, the changes in Brookfield Town were the result of their predecessors’ actions.
“Jeremy.”
Mike summoned his trusty assistant.
“I’m here.” Jeremy materialized, looking at Mike expectantly.
“Can you contact someone for me? An old man who’s been living in the tower recently?”
Jeremy nodded. There was indeed such a person.
“Can you ask him a few questions for me?”
Jeremy nodded again. Mike scribbled down his questions and handed them to Jeremy, instructing him to relay them
to Professor Gregory.
A few minutes later, Jeremy returned with Professor Gregory’s response.
Mike scanned the document, his eyes moving from line to line. Professor Gregory’s handwriting was impeccable, a pleasure to behold.
“When Morpheus arrived on the 30th floor, the town was indeed called Wolfbane. The
villagers transformed into werewolves every night, engaging in a bloody massacre. Those who were killed would resurrect the next day…”
“…Due to the graphic nature of the events, this information was omitted from the publicly
available records…”
“After Morpheus’s departure, the killings ceased. The townsfolk, upon transforming into werewolves, would instead race around the town…”
Mike continued reading, only a few lines remaining.
“Ares later passed through Wolfbane. After his departure, the town became Brookfield
Town…”
At the end of his response, Professor Gregory suggested that Mike do his research before embarking on future conquests.
He also advised against relying solely on S-level clearance for information, as many archives
required SSS-level clearance to access.
Mike sighed inwardly.
Back when Shadow Nine was around, accessing SSS-level archives had been a breeze.
But how was he supposed to do it now?
He couldn’t exactly waltz into the archives and announce, “Hello, I’m Thor. I’d like to request
an SSS-level file.”
That would blow his cover and put him in constant danger!
He could purchase access through the Mystic Market, but that would cost a fortune!
Another sigh escaped Mike’s lips.
It seemed everything in life required money.
Professor Gregory’s response had cleared up his earlier confusion.
“The town was originally called Wolfbane. It changed after Morpheus and Ares passed
through.”
The White Wolf King wasn’t surprised by this revelation.
Mike clapped his hands together, dismissing the matter. “Alright, enough dwelling on the
past.” He pointed ahead. “Let’s keep moving!”
They resumed their journey eastward.
The farther east they traveled, the larger the sun seemed to grow.
The sun, once high above their heads, had shifted, now looming directly in front of them!
This defied all logic.
Everyone knew the sun rose in the east and set in the west. Traveling east should have caused
the sun to shift behind them.
And yet, here it was, right before their very eyes!
The 30th floor was a strange and wondrous place, and their adventure was only getting
stranger.
As the sun drew closer, they realized something was amiss.
After a brief discussion, they decided to pick up the pace.
Soon, they were practically face-to-face with the sun.
It resembled a giant, golden pancake!
They stopped at a safe distance, their eyes fixed on the celestial anomaly.
“What was the prophecy again?” Mike muttered, racking his brain.
“Dog devours the sun.”
He turned to the two White Wolf Kings. “Which one of you is up for the task?”
They needed a dog.
Clearly, Mike didn’t qualify.
The young White Wolf King turned his head away, refusing to participate.
The older White Wolf King, too proud to admit defeat, insisted he was a wolf, not a dog.
They were at an impasse.
Just then, Mike summoned Cerberus and gave him a swift kick.
“Go on, eat the sun!”
“You have three heads. You’ll finish it faster.”
Cerberus: ???
Are you messing with me right now?!
“Think about it,” Mike said, his voice laced with a hint of persuasion. “If you eat the sun,
you’ll become stronger. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!” Cerberus considered his options. His master had a point.
With a mighty roar, he charged towards the sun!
“Meow!”
White Wolf King: ???
This… this was a new one.
Inspired by Cerberus’s bold move, the others began to reconsider their stance.
Especially after witnessing Tripod’s enthusiastic approach, his three heads tearing chunks out
of the sun and swallowing them whole.
And Cerberus’s aura was growing stronger with each bite!
The benefits were undeniable.
The White Wolf King, pushing aside his pride, grabbed the young White Wolf King and joined
the sun-eating frenzy!
No one could resist the allure of power. Dracula’s son, his eyes gleaming with envy, whispered, “Father…” “Don’t you dare call me Father!” Dracula snapped, silencing his offspring instantly.
He knew Thor wouldn’t let any opportunity for profit slip through his fingers. This sun was
undoubtedly a valuable resource.
If Mike took a few bites, he might even become stronger!
And considering the sun’s potency against vampires, even if they couldn’t digest it, the
fragments would make for excellent weapons!
Despite the allure of such a prize, Dracula remained unmoved.
This was Thor’s treasure.
He wouldn’t dare steal from his master.
He knew his place.
As the three dogs feasted on the sun, Mike noticed something remarkable.
With each bite Cerberus took, the Nightmare’s Breeze slowly began to repair itself! This sun
was even more valuable than he had anticipated!
“Chaos Claw Tiger!”
A tiger phantom materialized beside him.
Mike pointed towards the sun. “You’re a big boy now. Go eat the sun.”
The Chaos Claw Tiger wanted to refuse. He was a tiger, not a dog! “Don’t you want to become stronger?” Mike asked, his voice deceptively gentle. “Do you
really want Cerberus to surpass you?”
The Chaos Claw Tiger, his competitive spirit ignited, charged towards the sun, roaring,
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”