Chapter 505: Chapter 505 Weeding

Maxwell and his team soon found themselves trapped in a battle where they were heavily outnumbered. The entire pack of Blood Hounds attacked from all sides, making escape nearly impossible.

Fortunately, they managed to hold their ground until dawn. As the first light of morning broke through the forest, the Blood Hounds finally retreated to the shadows. Though they had strength in numbers, they would lose their greatest advantage once daylight stripped away the cover of night.

Reluctantly, the pack withdrew, as if forced to abandon what they had thought would be an easy meal, a large slab of meat in the form of Maxwell and his exhausted team.

Maxwell and his team eventually made it back, with only a few of them wounded. However, they were utterly exhausted. Their wolves had already drained much of their strength assisting with earlier healing, so the recovery of their latest injuries was noticeably slower. By the time they reached the temporary shelter, several of the more recent wounds had yet to close completely.

The warriors stationed at the gate quickly stepped in to support the injured, escorting them to the doctors and healers for immediate treatment. Blood Hounds, after all, carried a venom in their bites that caused continuous bleeding. Even if they failed to land a fatal strike, the lingering effect of their saliva could slowly kill their prey.

Because of the creatures’ dark nature, this toxic effect was further amplified. As a result, the doctors and healers had to work together, using specially prepared herbs to counteract the poison and stabilize the wounded warriors.

“Take care of them,” Maxwell said, nodding to the doctors rushing forward to tend to the wounded.

He turned to Zion, his expression still grim and focused, but the moment he heard Addison’s voice, the hardness in his face softened.

Levi, who had come to assess the situation, silently handed Maxwell a towel. His hair was soaked with sweat, and his skin glistened from the night’s exertion. Maxwell accepted it and wiped his face as he spoke.

When Addison approached, all three men turned to look at her at the same time.

“Why did you come out? You just recovered…” Zion scolded, though he sounded more helpless than angry.

He quickly moved to her side, pulling the thin blanket tighter around her shoulders before taking her hand to steady her as they walked. Addison rolled her eyes at how overly cautious he was.

“I’m fine. I can walk perfectly well. You’re treating me like I’m terminally ill,” she snorted.

But since she couldn’t shake him off, she let him fuss as he pleased.

Together, they approached Maxwell and Levi. Around them, some of the onlookers dispersed after receiving quiet instructions from their respective Alphas through the mindlink to give Addison and the others space. Meanwhile, the Alphas from the evacuated territories stepped forward, gathering to hear the full scope of the situation.

“I know. I just wanted to make sure you’re alright,” Zion said, not offended in the slightest. He chuckled softly and ruffled Addison’s hair as he guided her along.

Noticing the Alphas gathering, Maxwell glanced at them and let out a quiet sigh before speaking.

“We should move this to the main tent. This isn’t the right place to discuss important matters.”

He was referring to the tent they had set aside for meetings and planning. It wasn’t large, but it served well enough as their strategy room for serious discussions.

Archmage Elric, who had been standing not far from them, quickly realized they were about to discuss something important. Without waiting to be asked, he quickened his pace, intent on reaching the main tent first.

As soon as he arrived, he tapped his staff against the ground several times and began to chant. By the time Maxwell and the others reached the tent, Elric was in the middle of his spell. A faint shimmer rippled through the air before settling over the entire tent like an invisible dome.

When he finished, he exhaled and turned back to them.

“Since you have important matters to discuss, I’ve placed the tent under protection magic and soundproofing. Whatever is said inside will remain inside.”

Only Maxwell, Zion, Levi, and Addison understood the deeper meaning behind his words.

The other Alphas from the West had not yet realized that a traitor within the Royal Palace had been feeding sensitive information to their enemies, but Elric knew.

That was why he had gone to such lengths to secure the tent. He wanted to ensure that whatever was discussed inside would remain there. If word of their meeting still managed to leak, then it would only mean one thing, and that is that the defector was among the Alphas themselves, since there might be too many spies hidden among them. Still, their enemies were not foolish. Any leak after this would be too obvious.

Having silently conveyed his intent to Addison and her mates, Elric gave a small nod and excused himself, leaving to prepare his disciples to depart with Zion after the meeting.

Zion and the others did not stay long inside the tent.

Maxwell simply laid the map Zion had drawn across the table and added the new markings he had made. Red circles now crowded the parchment, each one indicating a nest or territory claimed by wild beasts and monsters in the surrounding area. He also marked the exact locations where his team had been attacked the previous night so Zion could pay special attention to those routes.

The reason they had called the other Alphas into the meeting, when the four of them could have handled this alone, was deliberate. It ensured the others were aware of the situation and did not feel excluded from the decision-making process.

At the same time, just as Archmage Elric had subtly hinted earlier, this gathering served another purpose, and that was to bait any spy foolish enough to reveal themselves by reacting to the information shared within the tent.

By studying the markings Zion and Maxwell had placed on the map, anyone present would be able to predict Zion’s likely routes for gathering materials. With that knowledge, an enemy could plan an interception or an ambush easily, and if Zion were captured, he could be used as leverage against Addison.

But this worked both ways.

Because it was Zion and Maxwell who had drawn and analyzed the map, they also knew which locations were ideal for ambushes. They could prepare accordingly. They also understood that they could not rely solely on Chase’s past experience, since they still had no clear idea how the enemy and their spies were communicating.

This meeting, therefore, was more than a briefing. It was a calculated move to flush out any spies or traitors lurking around Addison, ensuring that her immediate surroundings would be truly secure.

Archmage Elric’s decision to visibly cast a protective barrier around the main tent was not just for security; it was part of the strategy.

By making the precaution obvious, they were sending a message: Addison’s side was alert and wary. Any spy present would likely interpret this as proof that suspicion was already in the air. Feeling watched, the spy would try to lie low and avoid doing anything rash.

But that caution could also become their weakness.

If there truly was a spy among the Alphas, they would still be tempted to pass along the opportunity to ambush Zion and his team. The need to report valuable information to their mastermind would outweigh their desire to stay hidden. And in trying to be clever and discreet, they would expose the very method they used to communicate.

That moment, when they believed they were acting safely, would be when they were most vulnerable to being caught.

And once identified, Addison and the others could trace how the information was being relayed and force the rest of the network out into the open.

But if the spy wasn’t one of the Alphas, then it could be a pack member, someone bribed, coerced, or quietly turned without their Alpha’s knowledge. Worse, an entire territory might already be under the enemy’s surveillance… or even have defected without anyone realizing it.

No matter the truth, Addison and the others had to be certain before the teleportation portal was opened. They still had two days of waiting and gathering materials, and far too many things could go wrong in that time.

Their enemies could poison the grain supplies or livestock. They could set fires. They could even lure monsters toward the temporary shelter or deliberately agitate them, causing chaos from the outside.

Whatever form the threat took, Addison and the others intended to prevent it before it could happen.

That was why Archmage Elric’s proactive move, and his subtle signal that he was ready to help, meant more to them than words could express.

So when Addison and the others noticed it, they entered the meeting with heightened awareness, quietly observing everyone present.

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