"We need to eliminate the Alpha before it expands its territory," the commander said in a serious tone.
Ren remained silent, quickly piecing everything together in his mind.
"It's still alive..." he muttered, his voice dropping.
The commander narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure?"
Ren gave a slight nod. "I didn't see its body. The ground collapsed, but for a monster like that... a single fall might not be enough to kill it."
The commander was silent for a moment before his expression grew even more severe.
"Then we can't afford to waste any time."
Ren clenched his fists. He knew he couldn't face that monster alone, but he also didn't want to stand on the sidelines. He had seen it, fought it… and barely survived.
The problem was… would he be lucky enough to survive again?
The commander stepped over to the table, pulling out an old, worn-out map. He tapped a location not far from town with his finger.
"If it's still alive, it will return here," he said, his voice low and gravelly. "Alpha creatures don't wander aimlessly. They need territory, they need a pack. If this one is still out there, it won't stop."
Ren stared at the map, memories of razor-sharp fangs and glowing eyes in the darkness flooding back.
He could feel his heart pounding in his chest.
He had been lucky to escape with his life, but if it was still out there…
He gritted his teeth. Next time, would anyone else be as lucky as he was?
Ren looked up, his eyes firm.
"I want in."
The commander studied him for a long moment, then nodded, a glint of approval in his eyes.
"Not bad, kid." He crossed his arms, the corner of his mouth twitching into something close to a smile. "Braver than I expected."
Ren remained silent, his determination unwavering.
"However..." The commander's voice deepened, growing stern. "It's already late. Go get some rest."
Ren stiffened. "But..."
"The scouts need time to track it." The commander cut him off. "We won't have any updates until at least tomorrow morning. For now..."
He tilted his head slightly, scanning Ren from head to toe. "You've got dark circles under your eyes, you're filthy like you just crawled out of a pile of corpses."
Ren pressed his lips together, unable to argue. He did look terrible, his clothes were covered in dirt, his arms bore scratches, and exhaustion weighed heavy in his gaze.
"Get some rest." The commander's voice softened slightly, the cold edge fading. "If you want to hunt an Alpha, you'll need to be in your best shape."
Ren clenched his fists but eventually sighed, choosing not to argue further.
"…Understood."
He turned away, the heavy wooden door creaking as he pushed it open.
Beyond it lay the silent night, stretching endlessly before him.
The late-night air was cold as it filled Ren's lungs when he stepped out of the headquarters. The dim streetlamps cast a warm golden glow, illuminating the damp cobblestone roads.
He stood still for a moment, his hands unconsciously tightening into fists.
A hollow feeling crept into his chest.
It was over. The mission was complete, the rewards collected, and he had barely escaped death... so why did his heart feel so heavy?
Perhaps because the Alpha was still out there.
Perhaps because he couldn't shake the memory of six burning eyes in the darkness, the way its claws tore through stone, or the weight of Argo's unconscious body as he carried her through the night...
Ren let out a slow breath, rubbing his temples. There was no point in dwelling on it now.
First, he needed a place to rest.
Even so…
Tonight, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep.
Ren wandered through the empty alleys, where only the moonlight illuminated the cold stone streets.
At this hour, the Town of Beginnings seemed frozen in time.
The taverns had emptied, the market stalls were shut down, and only a few figures drifted through the streets. Some drunkards leaned against walls, muttering incoherently.
Ren walked on, but his mind was still trapped back there...at the collapsed ravine, at the sound of crumbling stone, at the fiery eyes of the Alpha beast.
He recalled the moment he threw the smoke bomb. The way the monster thrashed in agony, the way the ground beneath it gave way… and the moment it plunged into the abyss.
Was it really dead?
A sense of unease curled in his gut.
Ren stopped in his tracks, clenching his fists. If it was still alive, it wouldn't stop. Creatures like that didn't just disappear.
He took a deep breath.
Either way, the scouting team would bring back their findings tomorrow.
He just needed to wait until morning.
…Yet inside him, the restless anxiety refused to fade.
The sun slowly rose, its golden light filtering through the worn rooftops of the Town of Beginnings.
Ren opened his eyes, the exhaustion from a sleepless night still clinging to his body.
The images of the ravine, of the Alpha beast, kept replaying in his mind.
He pushed himself up, stretching sluggishly before splashing his face with the icy well water outside.
The cold droplets jolted him awake, but they did nothing to wash away the lingering unease.
Without wasting another moment, he left his inn and headed straight for the Guard Headquarters.
He needed answers.
The headquarters was as busy as ever, but something about the atmosphere felt tense.
Ren stepped inside, his eyes scanning the rows of bulletin boards. A few scouts had just returned, their cloaks dusted with dirt, their expressions grim.
He made his way to the front desk, where the commander from last night was deep in discussion with his subordinates.
The moment the commander spotted Ren, he paused, his sharp gaze flickering over him.
"You're earlier than I expected."
Ren didn't waste time. "Do you have news about the Alpha?"
The commander was silent for a moment before motioning for him to follow.
"We need to talk."
Ren followed him into a room in the back. The wooden door shut behind them, sealing them away from the noise outside.
On the table lay a beast-hide map, freshly marked with symbols and notes in red ink. A few of the markers were near the Sunken Rock area...the very place where he and Argo had encountered the Alpha.
The commander stood with his arms crossed, his gaze heavy.
"The scouts have found its tracks." He pushed a piece of paper toward Ren. "The situation is worse than we thought."
Ren took it, his eyes scanning the report quickly.
The number of footprints far exceeded their predictions.
The corpses of several smaller wolves, showing signs of being killed by the Alpha.
The pack was gathering. Possibly preparing to move.
Ren tightened his grip on the paper. "It's expanding its territory?"
The commander nodded, his voice lowering. "And when that happens, this town will no longer be safe."
"We need to eliminate it before the pack grows stronger." His tone was heavy. "The longer we wait, the more dangerous the situation becomes."
Ren understood that. A single Giant Elite Dire Wolf had already been a struggle for him, but an Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf, alongside its supporting pack...even the entire town guard might not be able to contain it.
"So when do we act?" he asked.
The commander didn't answer immediately. His fingers traced along the red markings on the map before he finally spoke. "Tonight."
Ren flinched slightly. "That soon?"
"We don't have time." His eyes were sharp. "If we wait any longer, we could be facing an entire horde instead of just an Alpha."
Ren took a deep breath. The urgency made sense, but he hadn't expected them to move this quickly.
"You've encountered it before, haven't you?" The commander looked directly at Ren. "You know how dangerous it is. So I'll ask again… Do you want to join us?"
Ren hesitated for a moment before giving a slight nod.
…
He would spend the entire day preparing for tonight's hunt.
The first thing he did was visit the blacksmith. His old gray leather armor had suffered cracks and damage from repeated battles.
He didn't have enough money for steel armor, but at the very least, he could get the damaged parts repaired.
"What the hell did you do to this armor?" The old blacksmith raised an eyebrow at the deep scratches.
"This time, it was wolves," Ren answered simply.
The blacksmith whistled, eyeing him with a hint of approval. "And you're still alive. Not bad."
Ren said nothing, placing a pouch of coins on the counter. "I need it fixed quickly."
After a brief pause, Ren spoke again.
"Can you use these to reinforce the armor?" He pulled out five high-quality wolf pelts from his inventory.
The blacksmith picked up one of the pelts, examining it under the forge's firelight.
"Good leather." His voice was deep and raspy, carrying the weight of a lifetime spent with hammer and anvil. "How do you want it reinforced?"
Ren hesitated briefly before replying.
"I want to increase durability without making it too heavy. Focus on the arms and chest."
The blacksmith nodded, stroking his long silver beard as his sharp gaze assessed the armor.
"I can line the inside with this leather, it'll help absorb impact better. I can also reinforce the edges to reduce long-term wear and tear." He paused before adding slowly, "But… that will take extra time."
Ren didn't hesitate, pulling out more money. "How long?"
"Three hours. If you can wait."
Ren exhaled slightly. Three hours wasn't too long. He could use the time to check his weapons and buy more supplies.
"Do it."
The old man studied him for a moment as if he had something to say, but then only let out a small chuckle and muttered,
"Young ones these days…"
Then he took Ren's armor, set it on the workbench, and began hammering away, the rhythmic clang of metal ringing through the forge.
With his gear taken care of, Ren moved on to stocking up on supplies. He bought some healing potions, a few smoke bombs, and tracking powder.
If he had to run again, he at least didn't want to lose the Alpha's trail.
As the sun began to set, Ren stood before the guard headquarters, double-checking his equipment.
Tonight, he would face that monster again.
But this time, he wouldn't be fighting alone.