Chapter 79: Chapter 67: The Powerful Village Guard Team and the Secretly Rising White Wolf Empire

The two remaining Steel Ants survived but were left critically injured and near death. Being reasonably intelligent, they immediately begged for mercy and were taken captive by the Fire Foxes.

Afterward, the two Steel Ants, on the verge of being burned alive by the Fireball Technique’s “Light Up” effect, voluntarily leaped into the river. They extinguished the lingering flames on their black carapaces, leaving them with just over ten points of Blood Volume.

“Huh?”

’Zero Magic Resistance Hard Steel Mage?’

’What’s the difference between this and a mouse running up to provoke a cat?’

As he grumbled to himself, Qin Feng used Ashes’s Owl Spirit Body to issue a command to the Fire Fox pack to the southwest. He ordered the injured members to take the two Steel Ant captives, temporarily halt their “fish-catching” mission, and return to the Lord’s Hall to rest and recuperate.

He planned to use Evil Aura to heal their injuries when he returned in a couple of days, after which they could resume their fish-catching duties.

At the same time, he gave a special warning.

The other Fire Foxes continuing the mission must remain vigilant for any silt in the river, lest more Steel Ant Magical Beasts appear and leave them critically wounded.

If too many more Steel Ant Magical Beasts appeared, they were to halt the mission entirely and return to the Lord’s Hall.

After all, he had already accumulated several thousand units of food in his warehouse.

It was enough to last everyone for a long time.

At this thought, Qin Feng suddenly realized a problem. Since the Steel Ant Magical Beasts were after the Black Crystal Ore, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t gather their whole clan to launch a full-scale assault on his territory.

But at present, the only ones in his territory who could use Magic were a single Awakened Fire Fox that had mastered the Fireball Technique, and Valkyrie, the Violent Bear Boss.

And as luck would have it, Bogard had taken Valkyrie back to the Bear Tribe, claiming he wanted her to baptize and bless their tribe’s Ratman Warriors…

’Sigh.’

’This won’t do.’

’If a real fight breaks out, my people might get wiped out by those nasty abilities the Steel Ants have.’

’I have to save some money and upgrade the Fire Foxes.’

’Hopefully, I’ll run into some foolish wild beasts and Demon Beasts along the way…’

At this thought, Qin Feng couldn’t help but feel a surge of relief.

Thankfully, he now possessed the “Village Guard Team” Talent, which allowed him to remotely monitor the status of all his Divine Chosen Soldiers and spend money to upgrade them from afar.

Otherwise, he’d have to turn around and go all the way back to the Lord’s Hall. He’d have to personally approach the Fire Foxes on their “fish-catching” mission just to spend the money to upgrade them to a higher-tier Soldier Type.

The mere thought of that hassle was enough to give him a headache!

…

Meanwhile, the Desert Giant Wolf galloped onward, carrying Diablo and the others with its astonishing stamina and gale-like speed.

After just seven hours, the party had reached the basin where the Wolfman Tribe dwelled. In the distance, they could see wisps of smoke curling up from the Wolfman village.

He raised a hand to the Owl Spirit Body summoned by Ashes.

“Ashes, send a message to the Lord. Tell him I’ve arrived at the Wolfman Tribe.”

Then, Diablo drew the Ratman Bone Whistle from his waist—a whistle bound with Beast Bone and Black Vine—and blew a sharp blast toward the nearby Wolfman Village.

In an instant, a sharp, hoarse whistle tore through the twilight like the cry of a screech owl. It echoed through the basin, startling several birds roosting on the cliff faces.

Hearing the piercing whistle, a nearby Werewolf Patrol Team galloped over on snow-white Warg Mounts.

The Wolfman Captain in the lead caught sight of Diablo and yanked hard on his reins. His white Warg Mount reared up, letting out a deafening roar as its forelegs pawed the air. Clumps of grass and dirt flew through the twilight.

He sat imposingly atop his white Warg Mount, his amber eyes gleaming from beneath a Wolf Hide Helmet. Gripping a cold iron spear, he demanded in a harsh voice,

“I am Luo De, Vanguard Captain of Winter City’s First Wolf Rider Vanguard Team.”

“Who are you?”

Diablo introduced himself.

“I am the current Ratman Leader of the Poison Arrow Tribe.”

“My name is Diablo.”

“I come today on behalf of the Lord I serve, Lord Tingfeng, to propose a trade with your Wolfman Chief.”

The Wolfman Captain considered this for a moment.

“The Poison Arrow Tribe?”

“What happened to your former leader, Bakadi?”

Not wanting to complicate matters, Diablo offered a simple excuse:

“He was killed recently by a powerful Forest Magical Beast.”

The Wolfman Captain paused, taken aback.

“My apologies.”

“My condolences.”

“Our Chieftain Snow is currently in the northern Royal City, discussing important matters with His Majesty Fenrir. He won’t be back anytime soon.”

“You and your men are welcome to rest in our Winter City for the time being.”

Diablo’s brow furrowed.

“Royal City?”

“His Majesty Fenrir?”

At those words, the Wolfman Captain’s chest swelled with pride. He stood ramrod straight, his wolf-fang necklace glinting in the twilight, and his voice overflowed with pride:

“That’s right!”

“Not long ago, His Majesty Fenrir swept through the entire Northern Forest with thunderous might, bringing all the Wolfman Tribes under his banner!”

“And so!”

“We are no longer primitive Wolfman Tribes scattered across the vast forests! We are a unified empire, bearing the name of the White Wolf—the White Wolf Empire!”

Diablo was puzzled.

“Something this momentous happened, and you didn’t send messengers to inform the other Forest Tribes?”

The Wolfman Captain replied in a low voice,

“It was His Majesty Fenrir’s command. He ordered us to first focus all our efforts on constructing the Royal City’s walls and crafting our Battle Banners. When all is ready, His Majesty Fenrir himself will make a proclamation to all the Forest Tribes and officially announce the birth of the White Wolf Empire!”

Diablo: “…”

’This is bad.’

’If the Wolfman Tribes were still scattered and separate, the Lord could have used his exceptional charisma and displayed the unique Divine Power he possesses as a Divine Chosen Lord to win them over one by one.’

’But now, all the Wolfman Tribes have been unified under the iron fist of a powerful leader, forged into the White Wolf Empire.’

’That kind of unity won’t be so easily broken.’

’I don’t know…’

’…what the Lord will decide to do.’

’Will he raise his Battle Banner and crush this fledgling empire with his Divine Power? Or will he let them sharpen their claws and expand their territory?’

’Or perhaps…’

’…seek mutual benefit, peaceful coexistence, and shared growth?’

Diablo couldn’t guess, nor did he dare make a decision on his own. He obediently followed the Wolf Rider patrol, led by the Wolfman Captain, back to the city they called “Winter City.”

He had expected this “Winter City” to be nothing more than a primitive village with smoke rising from its cooking fires.

But he never expected this. The Wolfmen had somehow acquired a complete City Building Technique. They were stacking neatly cut black stones to form a towering foundation. Iron pulleys hung from unfinished Arrow Towers, and dozens of muscular Wolfmen sweated as they hauled millstone-sized blocks. Though their faces were etched with exhaustion, they radiated an unmistakable and excited pride.

As twilight deepened, the half-finished city loomed like a dormant steel behemoth. It was slowly awakening from a thousand-year slumber, a roar that would soon tear the night asunder rumbling deep in its throat.

’Magnificent!’

’Absolutely magnificent!’

’It’s just like the cities in the empire’s Northern Territory!’

’How did they manage this?’

Suddenly, a thought struck Diablo. His pupils contracted, and a chill shot up from the base of his spine to the nape of his neck.

’Could it be…’

’…that there’s another Divine Chosen Lord here?’

“Luo De, this City Building Technique you’re using… did you get it from the humans who call themselves ’Divine Chosen Lords’?”

The Wolfman Captain looked surprised.

“Huh?”

“You know about them?”

“Have those incredible humans from the Otherworld appeared in your Ratman Tribe’s territory as well?”

Diablo thought for a long moment, weighing the pros and cons in his mind, before finally answering slowly,

“Yes.”

“In fact, he is the new Lord to whom all of our Ratman Tribes have sworn fealty.”

“Lord Tingfeng.”

Hearing this, the Wolfman Captain’s amber eyes went wide beneath his Wolf Hide Helmet, and the iron spear nearly slipped from his grasp.

“What?”

“Really?”

“They don’t know Swordsmanship or Riding Skill, and their archery is a complete mess…”

“All they have are some strange kinds of Magic…”

“They can make crops ripen faster, speed up construction, summon animals from thin air, and conjure weapons and armor from the bodies of creatures they’ve killed…”

“And you’re willing to submit to such weaklings?”

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