Chapter 622: Elvenheim (3)

Condelo.

He was a legendary tamer.

Not much was known about Condelo, who was presumed to have been active 250 years ago.

Why?

Because he had erased his own traces.

Why would Condelo, despite being a legendary tamer, erase his own traces?

Because his taming method was quite unique.

Condelo tamed his targets by beating them up.

Considering that even in a game called Raniji, which had once led the age of online games, players had beaten up Dobermans, foxes, wolves, and the like in order to tame them, one could say he was an NPC made with inspiration from that.

Condelo had been ashamed of his own deeds, so he erased them himself.

His tracks had been erased like that, but one blacksmith knew about Condelo.

More precisely—

[Hyunsoo: Is there anything like an “information book” that contains special information? It’d be useful in all sorts of ways if I knew it in advance.]

[Kabel: Did you leave it with me or something?]

[Hyunsoo: Yeah.]

[Kabel: ......]

He knew because a blacksmith with a face as thick as iron plates had managed to get something called a “hidden information book” out of Kabel, the world’s greatest information broker.

That information book contained information about Condelo, so Hyunsoo had been able to recognize Condelo’s Mineral’s value the moment he saw it.

Most likely, others would not have recognized it.

Because they did not know who Condelo was.

Also—

As he had explained to the seller while buying it, Condelo’s Mineral was highly likely to be a “combination mineral.”

The funny thing was, this combination mineral—

I do that every day like eating meals...

It was far too familiar to Hyunsoo.

The current reality of blacksmiths was that most of them crafted using only one mineral.

Since they crafted with the system’s help, they had not yet learned how to mix minerals.

But Hyunsoo did that as naturally as eating.

Just as he could repair “unrepairable” artifacts.

There was only one thing bothering him.

What if this mineral doesn’t contain Condelo’s taming method like I think it does?

Then this whole situation would be back to square one.

However, as a manual blacksmith, he could tell what kind of feel a mineral had by touching it.

It’s similar to iron ore, or even worse than iron ore.

That did not matter much.

As long as he could properly mix it with a mineral of higher quality than this.

If my prediction is right and it has exactly that kind of effect...

He could think of it as extracting only that effect from Condelo’s Mineral.

RUMMMBLE—

Hyunsoo lit the furnace and began crafting.

Literally, he smelted and refined two minerals, mixed them at the proper ratio, and then forged them.

CLANG!

CLAAANG!

CLAAANG!

Please let my prediction be right!

A fairly decent sword would come out.

That was what he thought while crafting, but if Condelo’s Mineral did not have the effect he had imagined and instead had some other effect, that would be a serious problem.

Before long, Hyunsoo began finishing the item.

It was a greatsword made of black light.

It evoked a werewolf, and it looked heavy enough to bisect any enemy in a single stroke.

In another sense, because Hyunsoo had been inspired by the title “Wolf King,” it seemed to embody a giant wolf.

On the thick face of the greatsword was an image of a giant wolf roaring.

The grip was somewhat rough, but he had made it so it would not slip when held in both hands.

When he finished it and named it the “Werewolf Greatsword”—

[It is Unique grade.]

A disappointing notice rang out.

The thought of whether a Unique-grade greatsword could solve this danger sank deeply into Hyunsoo.

However, one had to listen to notices until the end.

[You have combined two minerals more excellently than anyone.]

[This is superior to any mineral combination you have ever performed.]

[Hidden Piece. You have achieved Greatest Mineral Combiner.]

[Because you have achieved the greatest mineral combination, the artifact’s grade evolves by one grade.]

Hyunsoo’s face brightened.

However, even if he had mixed the two minerals well, the most important thing was whether it had the effect he wanted.

Soon, Condelo’s Mineral’s hidden effect revealed itself.

[Condelo’s Mineral’s hidden effect is revealed!]

[Please check it through the Legendary-grade Werewolf Greatsword.]

Hyunsoo’s face became brighter than ever when he confirmed it.

My prediction was right...

Just as he had predicted, the useless-looking mineral, Condelo’s Mineral, had the effect of Condelo’s taming method embedded within it!

Also, just as Hyunsoo wanted, this effect was clearly going to harmonize properly with the title “Wolf King.”

All right, let’s test it now.

Holding the Werewolf Greatsword, Hyunsoo began moving in search of his first prey.

*****

Rustle, rustle—

The senses of a Vadalla’s Wolf warned it that someone had invaded its territory.

The Vadalla’s Wolf sprinted through the bushes at high speed.

Tap-tap-tap—

The wolf reached the intruder in an instant and flinched for a moment.

“Grrr...”

Because the intruder was holding a huge black greatsword big enough to bisect its body in one blow.

“You’re the first test subject.”

The human, who had rested the greatsword on his shoulder, smiled confidently.

Then he said,

“I am the Wolf King.”

“......??”

What the hell kind of bullshit was that?

The wolf could not understand what he meant.

What it could tell for certain was that the line the man had °• N ?? v ?? l i g h t •° just uttered sounded incredibly cringe-inducing and bizarre.

The wolf immediately launched itself to bite out his throat.

“Grrrrr!”

However, the man was very fast.

“Oops.”

He merely twisted the tip of his foot to avoid it, then slammed the greatsword down hard onto its back.

CRAAACK—

“Yelp!”

The wolf screamed as it felt a blunt pain in its back.

It did not feel like being cut. It felt, literally, as though it had been beaten.

However, it was fairly bearable.

Just as it thought that—

“Whew. Maybe this Condelo guy was a pervert?”

The man said something strange again.

“Taming things by beating them up like this. Tsk.”

Then he began beating it again.

THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD!

The wolf, being beaten continuously, was in tremendous pain.

“The skill only activates once HP has dropped almost all the way, huh...”

Saying that, the man beat it with the greatsword until it was right on the verge of death.

The wolf, beaten black and blue, felt pain and began developing a survival instinct.

“Yeeelp...”

At that moment—

The man spoke once more.

“I am the Wolf King.”

Then—

“Oh, now it works.”

The man said something incomprehensible.

When the man said those words, the wolf felt a strange sensation.

The being in front of it was clearly human, yet he began to feel like the alpha wolf of a pack!

If it was with him, it felt as though it could accomplish anything, and as though there would be nothing to fear.

However—

“Grrrr...!”

The wolf still remained wary of him.

Because in the end, the target had a human form.

At that moment—

“As expected, the Wolf King title alone isn’t enough. In that case, as expected...”

CRAAACK!

“Yelp!”

The wolf was struck one more time, and now it realized that if it was hit even once more, it would die.

“Yeeelp...”

The wolf wanted to live.

However, it did not want to submit to the target.

At that moment—

A bright light burst from his enormous black greatsword, and the wolf thought:

If it could live by submitting just once, would that not be worth trying?

Also, the scent of a “wolf” definitely came from the opponent.

And not just any wolf.

The scent of an alpha wolf.

If—

If the opponent had not smelled like an alpha wolf.

And if—

If the opponent had not beaten it with that greatsword until it was on the brink of death.

If either one of those two things had been lacking, the wolf would not have done this.

Then—

The human reached out and stroked its head.

FWAAAAASH!

The light burst even more strongly from the greatsword, and the wolf slowly approached him.

And then—

Lick, lick—

By licking the man’s hand, it expressed its submission.

The man smiled brightly, took out a bottle of potion, and poured it all over the wolf’s body.

“This actually works?”

Before long, the wolf’s body, which had been covered in wounds, was healed cleanly.

The completely recovered wolf soon found itself standing beside the man, protecting him.

Meanwhile—

[Survival Instinct activates.]

(Survival Instinct.)

Passive skill.

Level: None

Effects:

·Activates only when the target’s HP falls below 90%.

·As a degraded version of the power once possessed by the legendary tamer Condelo, it awakens the target’s survival instinct and induces the target to serve.

·Because it is only a degraded version of Condelo’s power, the success rate will be exponentially lower compared to the power Condelo possessed.

·Only against wolves, it creates synergy with the title “Wolf King” that you possess, greatly increasing the probability of successful taming.

The power possessed by Condelo, the legendary tamer who had tamed monsters by beating them up.

Because it was embedded in nothing more than a mineral, that power appeared unable to display any real force.

Of course.

If the power of a legendary figure from 250 years ago had been fully embedded in a mineral, there was no way it would be “merely” Epic grade.

Perhaps the reason Condelo’s Mineral could contain the power that represented Condelo was entirely because that power was nothing more than an extremely weak piece of trash.

However, while it would have been trash in someone else’s hands, the story changed if it created the right synergy with the power Hyunsoo had.

[The Wolf King title shines.]

[It feels you as though you are the alpha of a pack.]

Ding!

[A Vadalla’s Wolf that felt survival instinct swears loyalty to you.]

Looking at the wolf that had now completely become his ally, Hyunsoo saw possibility.

Vadalla.

A dark elf who controlled tens of thousands of monsters.

He saw a way to survive him and reach the elves.

*****

Vadalla.

Originally an elf, he had gained the power to command monsters by selling his soul to a great demon.

Using that power as his foundation, Vadalla came to command countless outstanding monsters as his limbs.

When he returned to Elvenheim—

What was the first thing he did?

He made Jepae, the Wolf King, one of his limbs.

However—

Commanding Jepae, the Wolf King, was not easy.

“You useless bastard.”

Vadalla, looking at Jepae, whose neck was wrapped again and again in iron chains, stabbed his spear hard into Jepae’s side.

PUUUUK—

“......!”

Flinch, flinch!

Even with a spear driven into his side, Jepae endured without so much as letting out a scream.

Although he had been captured by Vadalla—

Jepae had not yet completely lost his memories.

“Awoooo...!”

He let out a sad, sorrowful cry.

His sorrow.

Originally, Jepae and the wolves, along with the others, had been friends with the elves.

The elves cherished Jepae, and Jepae cherished them.

However, with Vadalla’s arrival, all the wolves had been captured by him and now obeyed his commands.

And if Jepae lost his memories completely, he would bite out the throats of the elves who had been his friends.

“You do not have much longer to resist like this. In a few days, you too will become my complete limb.”

Vadalla’s power had almost swallowed Jepae whole now.

“Awooooo...!”

With the spear embedded in his side, Jepae, abused, howled again.

It was his own sad cry that no one would hear.

He would remain trapped here helplessly and become Vadalla’s limb.

Also, the wolves who had once been his friends no longer answered his voice.

Because now, all of them had become “Vadalla’s” limbs.

And currently—

Tens of thousands of ferocious monsters had gathered around Vadalla.

Among them was Vadalla’s legendary monster as well.

Vadalla had gathered them for the coming invasion of the elves.

“Wolves, return! We must prepare for war!”

Vadalla was summoning the wolves scattered throughout the area.

At that, Jepae, who had been sprawled on the ground, rose to his feet.

This would be his final howl.

It would be the scream that a peace-loving wolf named Jepae had once lived here.

“Awooooo!!!!”

Jepae howled again to those who would give no answer.

It was his final farewell delivered to them while he still had his sanity, and a wish filled with his last strength, begging them not to come here.

At that moment—

“Awooooo!!!”

“Awooooooo!”

Those who should not have answered did answer.

Jepae was thrown into confusion.

Howls that had not once returned after they became subordinate to Vadalla came back to him.

Those howls—

“Awooooooo!”

“Awoooooooo!”

“Awooooooooo!”

They filled the entire forest.

The wolves throughout the whole forest had answered.

Amid them, a howl that did not belong to a wolf could also be heard.

“Awoooooo...!!”

That howl imitated a wolf, but it was clearly awkward and strange.

Jepae’s highly developed ears and eyes followed that sound.

A human man was running toward this place.

“Awoooooooo!!!”

As he ran while howling, hundreds, then thousands of wolves from all over gathered behind him.

“Awooooooooo!!!”

At last, tens of thousands of wolves poured out from everywhere and surrounded him.

“Hup!”

Soon, he climbed onto the back of one wolf.

A human holding a greatsword made of black light, marked with the pattern of “a howling wolf.”

“Awooooo!!!”

He began advancing toward Vadalla’s monsters.