Chapter 68: Going Out

He got a little beetle from a nearby bush and then dropped it into the water for the experiment.

In just a blink, the beetle melted with a sizzling, burnt sound.

Moon’s eyelashes flickered in annoyance.

He stared at the dead beetle floating in the little pool and thought the powder was still too strong.

He scooped the water out, filled another little pool with water, mixed a thinner batch, and dropped another beetle in.

This one twitched hard, then crawled out, looking like its skin was peeled but alive.

Moon changed the water again and experimented again.

This continued until the beetle was not peeled of its skin.

Moon nodded once, but he still needed to mix in some soothing herbs to make sure they would not cause harm to his precious husbands.

He made another shallow basin right beside the lake edge, poured the diluted mix, and whistled in a low tune.

"Husbands. Get in," he said playfully.

As long as they didn’t hear it or understand, he didn’t mind calling them husband and getting the wholesome pleasure of a married life.

Leo sniffed the water, then soaked his leg first. Feeling the stinging sensation, he wanted to run away, but Moon caught him fast. He coaxed the pups and then gently placed them inside.

He also dropped in some floral herbs and some honeydew from the morning grass.

That lessened the pain almost to nothing.

After a few moments, when he pulled them out, they were unsteady on their paws, but the constant restless edge in their eyes had eased a little.

The pups were dazed as he lifted them and carried them back toward the caves.

That was enough for the first day.

Upon reaching the cave, Moon dried them with a cloth. After that, he started to pack up and prepare to leave the lost realm.

Meanwhile, the brothers soaked in the medicinal bath until the water became bland and there was no further effect.

They felt aches all over, but they also knew this was a very precious thing that even the Alphas of the pack didn’t get often.

Maybe they would get this treatment only when they were having a coronation, or later when they went to war. This type of medicinal bath needs a healer to maintain and make.

Yet they got it so easily. How could they complain about the pain?

So when the effect was long gone, they slowly got up, did some stretching, and then went for a run.

Since they had started to stay around Moon, their inner power was rising, as was their stamina. They often felt like they were not human at all.

Like an actual wolf, their speed while leaping was getting higher and higher.

Especially Nox and Ugo, who had been here for some time already. Though Axe did not have as much time, he still had the wolf blood. Though he was a little left behind.

When they felt the body aches and all the stiffness relaxing, they came back to the cave.

And found the pups sleeping soundly while Moon was stuffing many things into four large satchels.

"What are you doing?" Nox asked.

He sat on the bed and took one pouch in hand. It was stuffed with wild Witch Hazel, Bramble, Sweetbriar, and Blackthorn.

Many pouches were filled with other bits of herbs, some rare, some normal.

"We are going out," Moon replied. "Hurry up and pack them up. We will sell them and earn some siki. We need to buy many things."

Nox was surprised. "We are going out? How about the mark? What if we get caught?"

"We will not. I will double seal it. I have more essence power," Moon said, but then his gaze fell on the pups, and he sighed softly.

His wood, earth, and metal core essence were filled to the brim, but the fire and water core were as barren as he had been before.

So how could he seal Leo and Rio’s mark?

After thinking for a while, he called Lupine out. "Elder, can Rio and Leo be inside your palace when we go out? Will there be any problem?"

Lupine was wiping some random weapon, and he just hummed in response, which was essentially an "hmm."

Moon exhaled a sigh of relief.

Another problem solved. If anything happened, they could also hide inside there.

Next, he sealed their mark again with the same process he had used before.

This time it was not that painful because the mark was already sealed. He just gave it another layer of his own essence.

After making all the preparations, Moon gave them a simple disguise elixir, and then they were ready to go.

Axe was already outside, sitting on a flat rock with his machete across his knees.

Moon came out and looked at him. "We will leave soon. You know the way out, right?"

Axe stood up slowly and put his machete inside the sheath. "I know."

So Axe led them out of the mountain.

On the way, they also called back Oshan Dew, who was staying in a little cave mouth on a slope.

Though it was almost like a little animal hole, he had somehow made it sleepable for the last night.

Axe whistled playfully, "Oho! Old buzzard has tough bones. Let’s go out and buy what you need."

Oshan Dew had already eaten wild rabbit meat and bathed. Though his clothes were tattered, he looked fresh.

The pill worked fine.

He smiled and punched Axe, spreading his palm.

"So, you hound finally decided to go out." He did not have difficulty recognizing them.

He already knew that in this realm, only they were here, and he could distinguish them from their height and build.

"Where are the pups?" he asked, looking around, but found no cage today.

"Inside Lupine’s palace." Moon didn’t hide it.

There was nothing to hide, since Oshan had already seen it all.

Moon checked everyone one last time.

Then they headed toward the path they had taken for the first time.

Just as they were about to reach the water stream Axe had mentioned—the one he had gone to before going down into the Black Sea Gorge—they saw a limping figure from afar.