The north wind whipped ice shards into his fur, frosting beads of rime on the Wolf King's shoulders.

Will stood in the center of the Narrow Plaza, his shadow stretching into a straight line beneath the moon.

Before him yawned the massive breach in the Frostwall, the blood moon gilding the jagged edges of the crack with a cold, crimson glow. Along the hundred-zhang-wide gap, scorch marks from fireballs still marred the broken ramparts.

"Father…"

In a daze, Will thought he saw his father standing among the rubble, gazing back at him.

I, Will, have lived up to the clan's hopes. I've finally fulfilled the wolfkind's millennium-old dream!

The barrier forged of frost has crumbled to dust beneath my claws!

The fangs worn down by time have grown sharp again!

I will lead the wolf clan to reclaim our home!

We will witness the glory of our family together!

Unable to contain his excitement, the Wolf King tilted his head back and let out a long, resounding howl.

"Owooooo——"

The howl tore through the night, sending a desolate echo bouncing off the Frostwall's gap. For an instant, the spirits of countless wolf ancestors seemed to step back onto the snowfield, bathed in the blood moon's light.

As the last note faded, Will saw the faint figures of his father and ancestors emerge from a fog as black as blood, then dissolve into the night sky.

"Rest easy, Father. I will lead the clan forward until we claim final victory," Will said in a low, steady voice.

Footsteps sounded behind him, and he caught the scent of vanilla mixed with musk.

The little fox is here.

"Will, look what I brought you as a gift!"

Will turned to see Yu leading a white horse toward him.

Snow Dragon Steed!

His pupils contracted sharply with shock.

The white horse stood tall and proud, its mane cascading like a waterfall, every strand crusted with tiny ice crystals. Antlers curved from its forehead, their branches wrapped in pale blue luminescence. Where its hooves touched the snow, they bloomed into clusters of frosty white flowers.

The Snow Dragon Steed could run ten days and ten nights without rest!

Will remembered vividly riding this snowfield warhorse across the tundra, sweeping through enemies, living countless days of glory. But after the Battle of Wolfhold, the steed had fallen into human hands. Since then, the Wolf King had ridden several mounts, but none had matched the instinctive ease and joy of riding his old steed.

This unexpected reunion filled Will with overwhelming joy. He took a deep breath to steady himself, then stepped forward to stroke the horse's silver mane. His face seemed calm, but his hands trembled slightly.

This feeling is so familiar. Its fur is still as soft as ever.

The Snow Dragon Steed was clearly overjoyed to see its master too. It nuzzled into Will's chest, rubbing against him affectionately.

"Where did you find it?" Will asked.

"I got a tip that the lower levels of the Frostwall's Oracle Tower hid some treasures. Lucky for me, the tip was true! I found all of them!" The Fox Sorcerer planted her hands on her hips, fanning herself with her purple fan, and grinned. "The Snow Dragon Steed is back with its rightful owner, but all the other treasures are mine, right?"

What a greedy little fox.

"Since you found my steed, I suppose I can let you keep the rest." Will smiled. "But tell me—what other treasures were there?"

"Hmm, let's see. Besides the steed, there was the Awakening Seer's Crystal Ball, the Elf Maiden's Magic Mirror, the Raven's Black Jade Necklace, the Awakening Hunter's Hunting Feather… and piles of gems: cat's-eye stones, rubies, black jade, and more…"

So many treasures!

Will sucked in a breath, already feeling the sting of loss.

If I'd known there were so many valuable items, I should've used them to offset part of my debt. Especially those new Dark Pacts—they cost me a fortune…

Will regretted agreeing too quickly. He'd borrowed a great deal from the Dark Merchant to fund this war. But a king kept his word; he couldn't go back on his promise, especially not to Yu. He forced a smirk and said, "I heard the Seers of the Crystal Temple practice asceticism. Who knew that Orek kid hoarded so many treasures? Tsk tsk." He patted the horse's back twice, and the Snow Dragon Steed obediently pulled away from his chest, trotting to the other side of the plaza.

"Greed for treasure is the start of corruption. As Commander of the Frostwall, he neglected his duties to covet worldly goods—how could the Frostwall Legion not fall?" Will declared loudly.

Truth is, I love treasure too. But I can't say that out loud.

"So that's why you're the final winner." Yu laughed and bowed. "Then I'll take all the other treasures. Thank you!"

Hmm… I gave you such a big reward, so you owe me more.

Will was calculating how to recoup his loss from the fox sorcerer when he spotted two figures standing at the edge of the Frostwall's breach.

White Wolf and Shentu!

The Wolf King's brow furrowed. These were the last two wolves he wanted to see right now.

The pair stared at Will with cold, unblinking eyes.

Hmph! The white wolves were supposed to self-destruct! Why aren't you two dead yet?

Will snorted and looked away. He knew exactly why White Wolf was here, but he had no interest in dealing with them.

The Frostwall has fallen. You're useless now.

Will's gaze shifted to the line of wolf guards standing by the tower ruins. At the front was Ghost Rider Hayward; at the end stood Wolf the "Adamantium Wolf."

The Wolf King frowned, thought for a moment, then called out: "Wolf!"

"Master." Wolf stepped forward.

"Report on the battlefield."

"The main force of the Frostwall Legion has been completely routed. But a small group of survivors, led by the Seer, escaped through the dungeon's secret tunnel. Our casualties: twenty black wolves dead, fifty gray wolves dead, and one hundred thirty werewolves seriously injured. Some losses came from ground combat, others from the dungeon explosion."

Will snorted. That Orek kid is ruthless—he even dared to "self-destruct" in his own way!

He quickly calculated his remaining strength: two hundred wolves still fit to fight. He had to strike fast, with overwhelming force, to expand his gains!

"The human remnants will definitely flee to Awakening City, trying to make it their second line of defense. We must move immediately, before they can regroup, and seize Awakening City first!" the Wolf King said firmly.

"Master, after this night's battle, our forces are exhausted and need rest. Besides, the blood moon night is ending—our strength will decline sharply. Our next move may not go smoothly."

What are you playing at, Wolf?

The Wolf King's face darkened at his subordinate's defiance.

Is the mole finally showing its fangs?

But he suppressed his anger, keeping his voice steady. "Then what do you suggest we do?"