Will pushed himself up from the cold snow, flakes scattering off his fur.

Dammit! What the hell?! As he cursed, two shadows flashed past him. Ghost Rider Haywood! White Wolf Knight Shen Tu! The two White Wolf elites shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow, striking at a jagged boulder on the cliff.

Will then saw another shadow dart from the rear of the werewolf formation, flying toward the rock from a different angle. Wolf the Wolverine! Will nodded in approval. Even though Wolf had been stripped of his Wolf Guard title, he was still the one who stepped up to defend the Black Wolves in a crisis.

The three werewolf powerhouses stormed the rock, and several figures leaped out from behind it to meet them. Beneath the Red Moon, the clang of metal rang out through Devourer Valley. Visible ripples of air echoed off the cliffs, shaking loose the snow clinging to the rocks.

There really was an ambush here! Will was glad his instincts had been right. He watched the fight for a moment, then quickly concluded: these ambushers are mediocre fighters—no match for our elites.

Just then, Wolf Guards Aken and Ali reached his side. "Lord, are you hurt?" Aken fretted, brushing snow off Will's fur, while Ali drew his wolf blade and stood guard.

"I'm fine." Will waved them off, then glanced at the White Wolf King nearby. Little White Wolf stood protectively beside Watt, who looked eerily calm, as if the chaos around him had been expected all along.

"Nephew, are you alright?" Watt asked casually.

"Other than my Snow Dragon Steed, I haven't found a decent mount." Will kicked the fallen horse. "I've only ridden it for three days, and the beast can't take it anymore!"

Watt smiled. "Snowfield horses are cold-resistant—they can run day and night on the tundra without tiring. But they're not celestial horses. Even they need rest after long marches. You've been pushing yourself nonstop for days—what mount could handle that?"

"My old Snow Dragon Steed could run for ten days straight without rest."

Watt chuckled. "I heard the Snow Dragon Steed is a partially enchanted snowfield horse. Comparing a regular horse to it is ridiculous. And if you cared so much about it, you shouldn't have let it fall into human hands. Now you'll just have to get used to ordinary horses."

Way to bring up the one thing I don't want to talk about! Will cursed inwardly, then drew a wolf blade from Aken's belt. "I'll take the Snow Dragon Steed back from the Great Wall soon!" He roared, swinging the blade down.

The horse let out a final neigh, its head severed cleanly. Blood gushed out, staining the snow red. Orekl, one day I'll cut off your head just like this!

The surrounding werewolves had been watching the cliff battle, but Will's sudden act of slashing the horse drew their attention. They turned, shocked expressions on their faces.

"Nephew, it's just a horse stumbling. No need to fly into a rage." The White Wolf King said slowly.

The fury flashed in Will's eyes, then faded. He tossed the blood-dripping blade back to Aken and said solemnly: "According to werewolf tradition, if a commander falls from their horse before battle, it's bad luck. Blood is needed to wash away the curse."

Watt sneered. "So you do care about tradition?"

Just then, a whoosh sounded as several objects fell from the cliff, landing in the snow in front of Will. He looked closely—three bloody human heads. They rolled across the snow, leaving red trails.

Haywood, Shen Tu, and Wolf leaped down from the cliff edge. Will saw Wolf dragging a man by the scruff of his neck. The Wolverine tossed the man onto the snow.

The fight ended even faster than I expected. Will was pleased with Wolf's performance—of the three elites, only he had brought back a captive. That's thanks to my training. Will thought to himself.

"Spare… spare me…" The captive knelt on the snow, trembling violently.

Will glanced at Watt, who gave no sign, so he asked: "Who are you? What were you doing ambushing us here?"

"W-we weren't ambushing…" The man's shoulder, abdomen, and legs were covered in blood, clearly wounded in the fight. He stammered: "I-I'm just a commoner. I was waiting for my companions…"

"Waiting for what companions? Speak clearly!" Little White Wolf snapped from beside Watt.

"A-ah, y-yes." Fear filled the man's eyes. "There were six of us. We left the wall to patrol the outer lands… then split into two teams. Four went to scout Wolf Fort… two went to deliver supplies… we agreed to meet back here in Devourer Valley after our tasks…"

"You went to Wolf Fort? What did you find out?" Will asked.

"All the werewolves… they've left…"

Not just werewolves—plus a knight prisoner. Looks like you so-called rangers are just amateurs. Will continued: "Who are your companions?"

"Besides me, there were two swordsmen… one demon hunter…"

Will looked at the three heads on the snow and frowned: "Don't play dumb! I'm asking about the other two!"

"The other two… they're a witch and a guard…"

A witch and a guard? Could they be the ones who escaped? Will's mind raced. "Who were they delivering supplies to?"

The man hesitated.

"Speak!" Little White Wolf roared.

"Y-yes, I'll tell you…" The man said nervously.

Just then, the White Wolf King suddenly let out a low cough. His body swayed slightly, leaning forward.

As the Wolf Guards turned their attention to Watt, Will noticed the prisoner suddenly lift his head, his eyes blazing with resolve and malice. No good! Trap!

The man pushed off his knees, lunging like a cheetah. A hidden arrow flew from his waist, straight for Watt's heart. Watt can't die!

Will, who'd already spotted the danger, didn't hesitate. He leaped in front of Watt, and a sharp black energy blast shot from his left claw.

"Ding!"

The blast hit the speeding arrow dead-on, piercing its tip and splitting it in two. The energy didn't stop there—it went straight through the attacker's right chest.

"Ah!"

The attacker screamed, collapsing face-down on the snow. Blood gushed from his wound, staining the ground red.

Little White Wolf, Shen Tu, and Haywood quickly surrounded Watt, forming a triangular defensive formation. On the other side, Wolf pressed his wolf blade to the attacker's neck.

That was too close! Will let out a breath. If Watt had died, all my plans would've been for nothing!

"Wolf Spear…" The man lay on the snow, limbs splayed, twitching slightly. "I finally saw it…"

Will stepped forward, picked up half the broken arrow, and examined it. "You're no commoner. You're a demon hunter."

"You want to attack the wall… I'll never let you succeed…" The man didn't deny it.

"Good intentions, but without strength, they're just foolish." Will sneered. "You still haven't answered my question. Who were your companions delivering supplies to?"

The demon hunter closed his eyes, saying nothing.

Will snorted. "Even if you don't tell me, I already know. Sean the Broken Sword, right?"

The demon hunter's eyes flew open. "How did you…"

Bingo! I guessed right. Will smiled. "I know more than you think. Sean the Broken Sword is already dead, and the witch and guard have returned to the wall. You're waiting here for nothing."

"Impossible… the Chief Ranger… can't be dead…"

"You know nothing. I tell you the truth, and you argue. You're a useless waste with no value at all." Will glanced at Wolf.

Wolf understood. His blade fell, splitting the demon hunter in two.

"Whoa!"

Just then, Ayu the Curse Fox leaped over from the rear of the formation, landing beside Will. She gasped at the sight.

"We've won our first battle—killed four human ambushers." Will said to her. "You stay at the rear to hold the line. No need to come up front."

Ayu laughed coquettishly. "I shouldn't have bothered. All you did was take out four weaklings. That's just an appetizer—barely enough to whet my appetite!"

"Every human we kill is one less enemy. Even small victories add up. War is about accumulating wins and wearing down the opponent—that's an absolute truth." The White Wolf King smiled. "Nephew, that's something your father used to say all the time."

"Yes." Will nodded. I don't remember that.

"Your actions just now have changed my opinion of you. So I want to be honest with you." Watt coughed again.

Will thought to himself: So you weren't being honest before.

"The reason I hesitated to ally with you was because I had a worry. I feared you'd use the wall battle to kill two birds with one stone—defeat the human army, eliminate the White Wolves, and seize power for yourself." Watt said.

Sorry, but that's exactly what I was planning. Any smart werewolf could see it. It's not like you're the only one who thought that. Will shook his head. "Uncle, you're overthinking. My goal is to destroy the Great Wall, fulfill the werewolf clan's thousand-year dream. Compared to this ultimate mission as glorious as the Red Moon, who is Wolf King, who holds power—those are just tiny fireflies, not worth mentioning. I only want us to build the clan's glory together."

"Without you jumping in to save me just now, I'd never believe that's what you truly think." Watt sighed. "Maybe I've been trapped in old grudges for too long."

He let out a long breath, then said: "You're right. Battlefields change in an instant. The werewolf army can't be bound by rigid limits. So I've decided—if the hundred White Wolf warriors fail to break the wall, I'll consider launching a second wave of attacks."

Will froze for a moment, then a relieved smile spread across his face. Thank the moon, he's finally come to his senses! He looked up at the full Red Moon in the night sky, thinking: Is this a gift from the Red Moon?