Chapter 623: Elvenheim (4)

(Werewolf Greatsword.)

Grade: Legendary.

Durability: 20,000/20,000

Attack Power: 865

Restriction: Hyunsoo-exclusive artifact.

Special Abilities:

·All stats –1%

·Attack Speed decreases by 3%.

·Active skill King’s Howling.

·Active skill Wolf Submission.

·Passive skill Survival Instinct.

Description: Crafted from a mineral containing Condelo’s true value. An outstanding blacksmith recognized its true value in advance and crafted it so it could create synergy with the Wolf King title.

Strictly speaking, the Werewolf Greatsword was close to trash among Legendary items.

Its durability was not infinite, and penalties like all stats –1% and Attack Speed decreasing by 3% were stuck all over it.

However, this one greatsword contained several moves from a blacksmith who knew how to look ahead at the situation to come.

The active skill Wolf Submission.

Unlike the passive skill Survival Instinct, which helped him tame wolves endlessly, the active skill Wolf Submission could only be activated once every twelve hours.

However—

[Wolf Submission.]

[For 2 minutes, you can tame all wolves whose HP has fallen below 20%.]

[Taming time is limited to 10 hours.]

Like this, Wolf Submission was a fraudulent skill capable of mass taming.

Hyunsoo used this single Wolf Submission valuably.

How?

He activated it all at once when roughly fifty wolves had gathered, and within two minutes, he lowered their HP below 20%.

[You have tamed a wolf.]

[You have tamed a wolf.]

[You have tamed a wolf.]

Also, although it was impossible to bring Kkokko and Fortune in from outside, it was possible to awaken the demon sleeping amid full bloom.

Hyunsoo summoned the demon Grout and filled the cooldown.

“Grrrrr!”

When wolves appeared only one or two at a time, he tamed them using Survival Instinct.

On the other hand, when they appeared in a rush, he used the cooldown filled through Grout.

He activated Wolf Submission and continued taming roughly fifty wolves at a time in large numbers.

However, Wolf Submission and Survival Instinct had clearly defined strengths and weaknesses.

Survival Instinct was, literally, “permanent” taming.

Conversely, in Wolf Submission’s case, he could only tame them for ten hours.

In a way, that’s only natural.

Because there was a limit to what each user could tame.

However, even if he could command them for only ten hours—

Through repeated use of Wolf Submission, utilizing cooldown filling through Grout, the number of wolves began increasing exponentially.

It could be called a proper example of just how much synergy could be created by using the abilities one possessed.

Also—

[The number of wolves tamed through Wolf Submission exceeds 500.]

Once Hyunsoo commanded 500 wolves, he no longer had to beat the wolves himself.

“Grrrrr!”

“Graaarrr!”

Because the 500 wolves under Hyunsoo’s Wolf Submission—

Along with the twenty or so wolves he had tamed through Survival Instinct—

Began hunting on their own whenever other wolves appeared.

“Yelp! Y-Yelp!”

“Yeeelp!”

Because the wolves hunted on their own, Hyunsoo could focus on filling cooldowns through Grout.

As a result, their numbers increased exponentially.

And when that number reached 1,000, something even more special happened.

[The power of the Wolf King title temporarily displays greater power.]

Wolves, too, were intelligent monsters.

So when wolves encountered Hyunsoo, who commanded more than 1,000 wolves, they could not help but instinctively shrink back and feel a desire to submit.

Even if they formed packs, those packs were only around fifty strong, and once they saw Hyunsoo commanding 1,000 wolves, even without the power of the “Wolf King title”—

The perception that he was their alpha was naturally branded into them.

Perhaps that was why—

[The number of wolves you command has exceeded 2,000.]

When Hyunsoo came to command 2,000 wolves, something far bigger and more special happened.

[You are the first user to command roughly 2,000 wolves, even if only temporarily.]

[This is an astonishing feat no user has ever accomplished.]

[Hidden Piece. You have achieved Alpha of Wolves.]

Ding!

[It has been confirmed that the Wolf King title and the Hidden Piece reward overlap.]

[The reward changes and becomes superior.]

[The Wolf King title evolves by one grade.]

(Wolf King.)

Unique Title.

Grade: SS

Special Abilities:

·Attack Power and Defense increase by 24% against wolf-type monsters.

·EXP acquisition rate increases by 30% against wolf-type monsters.

·You can command wolves at will.

·Can rule all wolves of the Wolf Sanctuary.

·You can command all wolves in Elvenheim except semi-boss-class and boss-class wolves.

·The Wolf King’s Howling is magnificent.

·All wolves will obey your command at your howl.

Like this—

The wolf-taming that had begun with nothing more than the Werewolf Greatsword and the Wolf King title produced results even Hyunsoo found astonishing.

Of course, one could say it was an achievement Hyunsoo had accomplished by crafting the Werewolf Greatsword.

And having gained, through the Wolf King title, the power to command all wolves in Elvenheim, Hyunsoo did not hesitate.

He immediately began running toward the formation where Vadalla was.

At that moment—

Awoooooooo!!

He heard one enormous, great howl.

[The howl of Jepae, the Wolf King, echoes out.]

[You have been afflicted with the status ailment King’s Roar.]

[Your knees are weak, making movement difficult.]

[You have resisted.]

A wolf’s howl would surely feel like hollow terror to humans.

However, Hyunsoo overcame it.

And because he possessed the Wolf King title, and because in this Elvenheim he could command all wolves, the voice of that being came through clearly to him.

[Jepae, the Wolf King, tells all wolves not to come.]

[Jepae, the Wolf King, says he will soon be brainwashed into becoming Vadalla’s subordinate forever.]

[A noble guardian who protected Elvenheim.]

[The sorrow of Jepae, the Wolf King, is felt in full.]

Jepae, the Wolf King.

When Hyunsoo had set foot here before, he had experienced the status ailment transmitted from him.

The king of all animals.

And Jepae, the guardian of Elvenheim, seemed to feel sorrow as he was °• N ?? v ?? l i g h t •° being subordinated to Vadalla.

And then—

[A Hidden Quest has occurred!]

Hearing the notice, Hyunsoo began running even faster.

Awoooooo!

Awoooooooo!!

Listening to Jepae’s continued howls, Hyunsoo opened it.

[Hidden Quest: Purification.]

Grade: SSS

Restriction: One who has set foot in Elvenheim.

Reward: What Jepae can do for you.

Failure Penalty: Failure to purify.

Description: Jepae, the Wolf King, is a friend of the elves. Jepae will soon be completely brainwashed and become Vadalla’s subordinate. Jepae does not want all those brainwashed like him to stand beside Vadalla and kill the elves. Please succeed in purifying them and return them to their original selves!

After checking the quest, Hyunsoo moved even faster and activated the Wolf King title.

“Awoooooooo!!”

He was answering that he would save him soon.

Because Hyunsoo had only just set foot in this land, he did not understand them.

However, even through the brief lines of text, he understood how heartbreaking it would be for them to be brainwashed and kill their friends.

“Hup!”

Hyunsoo climbed onto a wolf and continued howling.

“Awoooooooo!!”

[The wolves answer the Wolf King’s call!]

Escorted by tens of thousands of wolves, Hyunsoo pushed through the undergrowth and advanced.

At a glance, he could tell apart the monsters Vadalla had tamed outside and the monsters he had brainwashed in Elvenheim.

First, the monsters Vadalla had tamed outside.

[Legendary monster. Big-Headed Ogre Lv 576.]

[Legendary monster. Colossal Griffin Lv 565.]

A legendary ogre with an enormous head and a body and axe just as huge to match.

And the largest griffin he had ever seen, standing eight meters tall at the shoulder.

Those were presumed to be monsters Vadalla had brought from outside.

Unlike them, there were monsters who had originally lived in Elvenheim.

Their names are red? So the names of beings that belonged to Elvenheim are marked in red!

The names above their heads were clearly displayed in “red.”

[Legendary monster. King of Fairies. Lv 576.]

[Legendary monster. King of Ents Lv 567.]

[Legendary monster. King of Centaurs Lv 587.]

The fairy was a butterfly-shaped monster with shining wings.

The ent was a being formed in the shape of a tree, and the centaur was a being with a horse’s lower body and a human’s upper body.

These beings had originally protected Elvenheim, but they had been captured by Vadalla and made into his allies.

Those who had protected Elvenheim had come to target the elves.

[The King of Ents wishes for purification.]

[The Fairy King wishes for purification.]

[The King of Centaurs wishes for purification.]

The method of purification would be simple.

It would be bringing their HP to 0.

Having learned his exact destination, Hyunsoo howled.

“Awoooooooo!!!”

Holding the Werewolf Greatsword, Hyunsoo charged alongside tens of thousands of wolves and collided with the swarm of monsters numbering nearly forty thousand.

CRAAAAAACK—!!!!!

The wolves lunged at the monster swarm, biting into them and slashing down with their claws.

CRAAACK—

One ent’s HP reached 0.

[Purified.]

The ent’s name, which had been red, returned to its original color, white.

Like that, tens of thousands of wolves charged at the monster swarm and fought fiercely with all their might.

And Vadalla, the dark elf commanding them, was bewildered.

I knew there was an intruder.

However, because it was only one person, he had not paid him much attention.

He had simply assumed the wolves positioned around him would take care of it on their own.

And yet, that man was commanding as his allies tens of thousands of wolves that had been subordinated to Vadalla.

What an amusing human.

Vadalla smiled meaningfully.

It was absurd and pitiful.

The tens of thousands of wolves felt like beings struggling for Elvenheim.

However, wolves were nothing more than the weakest monsters in Elvenheim.

And the many legendary monsters he commanded—

Even the Ent King, king of all the ents that protected the forest.

The Fairy King, who had been king of the fairies.

And even the King of Centaurs, who had a horse’s lower body, a human’s upper body, and held a sword.

All of them had become his limbs and were being commanded by him.

Also, humans were insignificant.

Beings that could not be any weaker.

Vadalla did not know exactly what kind of being that man was, but he was certain this would merely be a light struggle.

And in reality—

SWOOOOOSH!

“Yelp!!!”

“Y-Y-Yelp!”

One of Vadalla’s dependable subordinates—

The legendary monster Big-Headed Ogre swung its axe once, and dozens of wolves were bisected without even being able to resist.

Moreover, through the hundreds of ogres standing behind the Big-Headed Ogre, the wolves around the human were being annihilated.

Was that all?

“Kieeeeeeh!”

The Colossal Griffin devoured the sky.

The creature Vadalla had obtained from a griffin’s nest.

Every time it pecked with its beak, the wolves’ backs were gouged in, and thousands of griffins were slaughtering the wolves.

Yes.

The thousands of wolves around the human who had appeared were being annihilated, and Vadalla’s monsters began surrounding the human in layer after layer.

Vadalla had felt a moment of interest, but it was bland.

The human buried beneath the swarm of monsters was being attacked indiscriminately.

The Colossal Griffin in the sky was descending toward him to finish him off.

Thousands of monsters targeted him alone, and now they had even covered him completely.

At that exact moment—

“Summon.”

“......?”

A low voice flowed from the mouth of the man buried among the monsters.

“Fenrir Charge.”

A wolf that filled the sky began to appear.

“KWOOOOOOOOR!!!”

The descending legendary wolf called Fenrir literally slammed its massive body down onto the Colossal Griffin in midair.

“Kieeeeeh... squawk!!!”

And then—

As if asking how dare they touch its master—

“KWOOOOOOOOR!!!!!”

KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWAAANG!

With enormous steps, it charged forward, crushing and trampling thousands of monsters, grinding their bones to pieces.

Something even more astonishing happened elsewhere.

When Vadalla was distracted for a moment by the enormous wolf called Fenrir—

What? His weapon changed? A greatblade?

The human man, having rapidly swapped weapons, cut the legendary monster Big-Headed Ogre several times.

CRAAAAAACK—!!!!

In just a few moves, he reduced it to a wreck, then dropped its head.

SLAAAAASH—!!!!

Thud!

“......!!!!”

Vadalla.

He took one step back and asked,

“Wh-Who the hell are you?”

With the collapsing ogre behind him, the man took one step forward and answered,

“Hyun.”

A legend of humans.

A king of humans.

He was carving a new legend into the land of the elves.