Chapter 71 The Omega

Disbelief turned into rejection.

Rejection into denial.

The Typhoon Wolf's murky and yellowish pupils changed.

The very pupils that, at birth, placed Grey into a certain position inside the Pack's hierarchy changed.

Rage quickly filled both his mind and body.

The injured Typhoon Wolves that had leaped towards the white-scaled Monster's back, realized too, as the sound of their Leader's steps faded.

The Leader, to whom they had sworn absolute loyalty, had betrayed them.

But it was too late now.

Their bodies, which had leaped into the air aiming for the Monster's neck, were pierced.

From that Monster's lower back, four limbs had appeared.

Four limbs, resembling spider legs pierced their bodies.

The next second, those spider legs moved in opposite directions.

Grey's bloodshot eyes witnessed his comrades' bodies being torn in two.

He witnessed their red and steaming blood painting the Monster's white scales.

The Typhoon Wolf knew.

It knew that it was powerless against the Monster.

Yet, instead of desperation, all it felt was wrath.

Wrath for which it couldn't find but one outlet.

Grey's fangs, which had already pierced scales harder than he had ever come across, lacerated the Monster's forearm.

His pupils were colored red.

A deep red, as if all the blood inside his body had been concentrated into his eyes.

Grey's jaw was exerting strength he did not know he had.

Perhaps, strength he previously did not possess.

But before his fangs could penetrate deep enough to reach the Monster's bones, a strong punch landed the Typhoon Wolf's skull.

Dizziness immediately overtook him.

Blood went down his body, tainting his own pelt.

Still, Grey didn't let go.

He couldn't let go.

Not even if it cost him his life.

The Monster stared at the Typhoon Wolf, whose expression had gained its ferocity back.

The next second, something entered Grey's sight.

A hand.

A hand that symbolized certain death.

And as that hand was about to be laid on his stout, Grey was reminded of Snow's slaughter.

He let go.

Grey stepped back, while growling.

It wasn't exactly fear of the enemy that made him let go.

Grey had realized that he wasn't ready to die just yet.

There was still something he had to do.

He growled and growled while staring at the Monster.

If the intensity that invigorated Grey's eyes could inflict damage, then, surely, his staring red pupils would have ended the Monster's life.

He took a step back.

At this point, the Monster in front of Grey was, despite its strength, nothing more than a nuisance.

An obstacle.

A river of blood was flowing down Grey's damaged skull.

The dizziness made the Typhoon Wolf feel like it could pass out at any moment.

Which is why Grey went back on the offensive right away.

He had no time to waste.

But in front of the white-scaled Monster's might, the attack proved pointless.

Grey's approach was met by an insanely quick tail flick.

Crack-

Part of Gray's skull had already been broken.

Now, many of his ribs were too.

His body was launched away.

Grey stood back up right away.

But pain sharper than he had ever felt made him lose his balance.

The bleeding Typhoon Wolf's body hit the ground.

The impact wasn't much, but its consequences heavy.

As his body hit the ground, a portion of Grey's broken ribs had pierced its right lung.

Breathing wasn't an option anymore.

Moving was impossible.

Nevertheless, Grey's eyes shined brightly.

The Monster was the last one standing.

Certain of its victory, the Monster walked over Grey's body.

It approached Snow's torn carcass.

As was custom inside the forest, the victor was to feast on the defeated.

And Snow looked like the most appetizing of meals.

Such was the way of Beasts.

Only the strongest, gets to win.

And only the winner, gets to live.

The Monster lowered its body towards the fine meal.

A creepy feeling suddenly made its body twitch.

The Monster had committed a fatal mistake that could cost it much.

Sensing that its neck was about to be mutilated, the Monster's muscles used all their strength to launch its body forward and away.

Away from the one remaining threat.

The Monster hurriedly turned back towards the only Beast that could pose a threat.

It turned towards Grey.

The only one whose attack had been stealthy enough to go unnoticed.

The Monster was met by a scene that made its eyes widen.

Despite its severe injuries, the Typhoon Wolf was standing.

Barely standing, as its body swayed from side to side.

As blood flowed out of its body.

Still, it stood.

Not only was the Typhoon Wolf standing, but it was slowly walking forward.

Discreetly and stealthily.

Its steps produced no sound.

Despite the pain.

Despite its broken bones, despite its pierced lung, the Typhoon Wolf silently walked.

Grey took a step forward.

Both his body and mind were resilient enough to allow him to move.

Both his body and mind, tirelessly and relentlessly, helped Gray advance towards his goal.

The Monster stared.

Why was it that, unlike those of the other Typhoon Wolves, Grey's movements were undetectable?

Was there something special about him?

Something that allowed his movements to be undetectable even by the Monster's sharp sense?

It might've been a Skill.

A privilege that Grey was born with.

A special privilege that the other Typhoon Wolves lacked.

Some kind of gift or compensation from Lady Fate, in exchange for his weaker body?

That might have been the case.

But not necessarily.

Maybe it was something Grey had learned.

Something he had learned as a member of the lower end of the Pack's hierarchy.

After all, it is true that Grey had often been hurt by the Leader.

The latter would greedily feast on either food or the females of the Pack, before swinging its sharp claws at the unsightly Grey.

Even when he was standing a safe distance away from the Leader.

Even when he was encircled by the rest of the Pack.

He was hurt many times over, simply because of his presence.

Simply because of his existence.

Grey was hurt, again and again, for being a Typhoon Wolf whose pelt was a bit grayer than that of others.

For being a Typhoon Wolf whose body was a bit weaker than that of others.

It could have been because of those recurring incidents, that Gray had learned to move discreetly.

Learning to move stealthily might have been the only way for him to survive, even in the midst of the Pack he was part of.

Grey was acutely aware of the Leader's contempt for him.

No.

Gray was acutely aware of the Leader's hatred for him.

But, as one can imagine, having a weak body meant that there was nothing for him to do.

Nothing but quietly endure.

In the forest, strength is everything.

And that, is the very thing Grey lacked.

The strength to survive on his own.

The strength to rebel against his Leader.

Grey couldn't do a thing, but erase his presence, in the hope of being forgiven for his unsightly existence.

Some might think that his weaker body was, ultimately, a blessing.

After all, it was his fangs, and his fangs only, that had managed to reach the mighty Monster.

Grey was "blessed".

And therefore, he had managed to damage the enemy.

Grey walked, and no sounds were emitted by his movements.

The direction in which the Typhoon Wolf was heading surprised the Monster.

It wasn't aiming for revenge.

Not against the white-scaled Monster anyway.

The latter quickly realized where Grey was heading.

It seemed the Typhoon Wolf had a duty that couldn't be ignored.

Not even on the verge of death.

The direction in which he was heading was...

Thump-

Alas, Grey's strength was depleted.

His body hit the ground.

A terrible howl echoed.

A howl that made the Monster's body twitch.

A howl that expressed deep hatred, wrath, and, above all, sorrow.

On the verge of death, Grey could forget the slaughtering of his comrades.

Maybe even forgive it.

Kill, or be killed.

The Beasts inside the forest had agreed to play a certain game.

And just because the Typhoon Wolves were the losers this time, didn't mean they had any right to complain or hold a grudge.

After all, the Pack, too, had killed monstrous amounts of living beings along the way.

Still, there was one thing, the Typhoon Wolf just couldn't forgive.

Unlike the others, Grey was "blessed".

But all the same, he drew his last breath.

[You have defeated 1 Typhoon Wolf...]

Floating words appeared in front of the Monster.

It didn't bother reading those words.

To the Monster, they held little to no value.

Right now, there was something else.

Something more important.

Something that had captured its interest.

The Monster walked towards the fallen Grey.

More words appeared.

[You have used your Magic Skill "Purgatory's Undead Troup[A+]".]

[The dead is coming back to life as your Underling.]

Mana instantly covered the fallen Typhoon Wolf's body.

Grey's wounds were healed.

Pulled out from absolute darkness, the Typhoon Wolf could, once again, sense its surroundings.

Grey opened his eyes, unsure of what had happened.

The terrible pain he was enslaved by seconds earlier was now entirely gone.

He looked around, confused.

But the instant his gaze fell on the white-scaled Monster, something clicked inside his mind.

Immediately, Grey lowered his body.

Both his body and mind swore allegiance to the Monster that had previously killed him.

And as the Monster walked towards Grey's fallen comrades, the latter felt confused.

Conflicted.

The comrades, that he, once, would've given his life for, now seemed insignificant.

Insignificant in comparison to the Monster.

That Monster, was no simple Monster anymore.

That Monster, was now his Master.

But that did not mean Grey had forgotten about his comrades.

Nor had he forgotten about his duty.

Still, his new Master now sat at the pinnacle of Grey's priorities.

The rest was negligible and held little importance.

The Monster touched the unmoving Typhoon Wolves, and their bodies turned into orbs of red energy.

'You can't do it the way you are, right?'

A voice echoed inside Grey's head.

The Monster walked towards Grey.

Whatever the demands, the Typhoon Wolf would obey.

Not because it was obliged to, but because it deeply cared about its Master.

Grey cared about the Monster in front of him more than anything else in the world.

Even though, it was only minutes earlier, that Gray was longing for that Monster's death.

Grey did not know why that was the case.

He did not know where those feelings came from. And he felt no need to question those feelings.

'Think of it as... Your old buddies giving you their strength.'

The Monster fed his new Underling those red orbs.

As Grey was now one of the Monster's Underlings, he would never go against his Master's wishes.

Which is why he felt the explanation wasn't necessary.

Grey swallowed the red orbs.

The next second, his body started changing.

Grey could feel the strength of his fallen comrades invigorating his body.

He immediately felt his muscles and bones grow bigger and stronger.

His fangs and claws became sharper and deadlier.

The strong and explosive muscles of Snow had become his.

No.

He surpassed Snow's strength and size thanks to the strength of his other dead comrades.

There was no doubt that Grey was, now, much stronger than Snow ever was.

There was no doubt that he was now stronger than the one previously known as the next Leader could've ever been.

Grey could feel his Magic Skill "Wind Blast" grow more powerful as well.

His pelt, for which he was shunned previously, became more magnificent.

Patches of a gray color remained.

And they blended in nicely with his otherwise completely white pelt.

The Typhoon Wolf felt thankful towards his fallen comrades, and, most importantly, his Master.

Grey turned towards that white-scaled Monster, as if asking for approval.

The Monster nodded, and an incredible howl echoed throughout the forest.

The sound Grey emitted was more than enough to prove his strength.

It was nothing like the weak and shaky howls he let only out days earlier.

Grey thought that as he was now, the pack's Leader would be nothing more than a young pup standing in his way.

But that, didn't matter.

All that mattered, all that Gray wanted to do, was to use his new found strength for his Master.

To protect his Master.

To fulfill his Master's every wish and desire-

'Now, go for it.'

The Underling stared at its Master for a bit, incredulous.

The next second, Grey leaped through the air faster than he thought would ever be possible for him.

His leg muscles exerted power they previously never could.

His lungs and heart worked harder than was ever possible for him.

'Get your revenge.' The Monster ordered telepathically.

That white-scaled Monster, was Mark.

'Your old buddies giving you their strength... I never thought of it that way.' Mark thought, before following his new Underling.

Grey ran towards the place he was most familiar with inside the forest.

As a Pack, the Typhoon Wolves had a very precise spot that was theirs and theirs alone.

It was their den.

Their home.