When this thought flashed through Hulim’s mind, she glanced once more at the spot where the Goblin Lord had been. At this moment, there was no sign of the Goblin Lord there.
But Hulim had always kept an eye on its movements, so she had a rough idea of where it was hiding now.
“All right, let’s set the fire!”
Hulim raised her magic staff, preparing to bury the hiding goblins, the ones still lying motionless on the ground, and their entire tribe in flames.
“Awoo—!”
Just then, a long howl suddenly echoed from the Forest.
Hulim froze for a moment, turned her head, and stared gravely at the endless expanse of the Forest before her.
“Awoo—!”
Another long howl followed, this time even closer.
“Awoo—!”
“Awoo… …”
The number of howls grew, coming ever faster from all directions.
“Roar!”
“Roar!”
“Roa… …”
One black shadow after another darted swiftly through the underbrush outside the goblin tribe.
“Gah—!?”
Shrill goblin screams rang out from within the woods.
Immediately after, a few goblins who had long since fled into the Forest burst out in terror, rushing back toward the tribe, looking over their shoulders as they ran, as if checking for pursuers.
“Roar!”
As if answering their fears, several figures chased out after them, and in just a few strides, overtook them, knocking them all to the ground and biting through their necks.
It was at this moment that Hulim finally saw their true forms.
A kind of wolf with a single horn on its head and gray fur.
“Horned Wolf?”
Hulim recognized the creature before her—it was an E-rank wolf-type beast: the Horned Wolf.
“Were they attracted by the scent of blood… … But even with the scent, would Horned Wolves really dare attack a goblin tribe with a Goblin Lord presiding over it?”
Though these were only E-rank Horned Wolves, Hulim did not feel any relief. Instead, her sense of danger only grew stronger.
Apparently, after realizing the goblin tribe before them had no ability to resist, the Horned Wolves that had charged from the Forest grew restless. Yet the lingering aura of the Goblin Lord and the numerous High Goblins in the air kept them anxious and unwilling to advance, pacing outside the tribe.
“Awoo—!”
At last, one of the Horned Wolves chose to signal the pack behind it.
“Awoo!”
“Awoo!”
“Awoo… …”
A succession of howls spread deep into the Forest, and more and more dark shapes gathered around the goblin tribe.
Just like the few Horned Wolves before, they did not act rashly, but darted ceaselessly through the Forest’s edge.
“We’re surrounded… …”
Hulim glanced all around. From every direction outside the tribe, sounds echoed; it was clear that the wolf pack had completely encircled the tribe.
They took no further action for now, but even through layers of trees, Hulim could feel the pairs of predatory eyes lurking in the shadows, watching hungrily.
“What are they waiting for?”
The situation was turning strange.
If the few Horned Wolves earlier hesitated, that could be explained. But now the wolf pack had finished surrounding the tribe and still showed no sign of moving. That was highly unusual.
Moreover… …
There were far too many of them.
The number of Horned Wolves here was utterly abnormal!
Hulim had already counted over a hundred by the sounds and movements, and that wasn’t all—more and more wolves kept emerging from the Forest behind them.
“In such a dangerous monster Forest, it’s impossible for E-rank Horned Wolves alone to gather in these numbers. There’s something off here… …”
As if to confirm her suspicion—
“ROAR—!!!”
A unique howl echoed from deep within the Forest.
That sound—even through a great distance—made it feel as if the very air around trembled violently.
A chill swept over her heart.
“No! That sound—could it be—”
“Awoo!”
“Awoo… …”
As that sound rang out, the wolf pack surrounding the tribe began to move. They burst from the treeline.
Seeing the shapes of these wolves, Hulim understood why there were so many Horned Wolves.
E-rank Black-backed Wolves, D-rank Dire Wolves, E-rank Grass Wolves, D-rank Stingtail Wolves… … more and more wolves of different types emerged from the Forest.
They circled ceaselessly around the goblin tribe, running as they closed the encirclement ever tighter.
Of course, it was impossible for a single Horned Wolf pack to reach such numbers, because this was no Horned Wolf pack at all—this was a massive Mixed Wolf Pack!
Such a thing was extremely rare.
Wolves were social creatures, but one of their traits was that different packs couldn’t coexist peacefully—even of the same species.
If even the same species struggled to get along, how could entirely different species manage it?
Usually, they would fight to the death upon meeting, to determine dominance.
Yet now, these various wolf species mingled together in harmony, even coordinating their roles.
This situation… …
Her right hand tightened unconsciously around the staff, but Hulim grew ever calmer. She watched quietly as the great force of the Mixed Wolf Pack approached from the Forest.
This kind of thing—she had only heard of in rumors. That was: some were born as kings of wolf-kind, possessing a natural command that could force all wolf packs into submission, forming vast hordes—even causing a Wolf Disaster.
And as for such Wolf King creatures—Hulim happened to know of one… …
“Huff huff—!”
Heavy, ragged breaths echoed from the woods in every direction.
Bang! Bang! Bang… …
Steps so heavy they seemed to shake the ground drew near from the depths of the shadowy Forest.
“Awoo!”
“Awoo!”
“Awoo!”
“… …”
At that moment, hundreds of wolves of different kinds, encircling the goblin tribe, all threw their heads back and howled as one, as though welcoming their king’s arrival.
Bang!
Those ponderous, approaching steps halted at the edge where Forest met goblin tribe.
Beneath the dim shadows of the trees, a pair of giant, glowing eyes shone like twin bonfires in the night, suspended in midair.
“Huff huff!”
A cloud of white mist floated out from between the trees—that was the vapor it exhaled.
Where just now the wolves had howled in unison, now they all fell silent, waiting patiently for their king’s next command.
“ROAR—!!!”
A deafening roar, as if it shook the very air, resounded through the mountains and woods. In the next instant,
Bang—!
A massive black shadow flashed past, and with a single leap, landed at the very edge of the goblin tribe.
Hulim’s gaze lifted slightly, and at last she saw its full form.
A body the size of a house, the ordinary features of a common wolf, yet with fierce, intelligent eyes.
—Forest Direwolf.
A name both familiar and terrifying.
It was also, precisely, the rumored Wolf King species Hulim had heard about.
… …