White Wolf threw back his head, spittle flying from his bared fangs—but it only arced weakly through the air, landing at the base of Will's black iron boots.

"Liar!" A hoarse roar rumbled in his throat.

This was the foolish defiance of a loser—stubborn, but powerless. Will didn't curse him; he just shook his head with a cold sneer and stepped over the spittle.

White Wolf had lost all value. There was no need to waste another moment on him.

He turned his gaze to Shentu.

"You were only following orders. Your old master is dead, and your mission is done. I'll give you a chance to choose a new path," the Wolf King said slowly.

Instead of wiping out the white wolves, making them surrender would be far more meaningful.

The chief white wolf rider shook his head with a bitter laugh. "Will, you can buy Ghost Rider's loyalty, but you'll never buy mine! The noble white wolf clan only dies in battle—we never surrender!"

Will glanced at Hayward, whose face was hidden behind his black iron mask. The blue eyes visible above the mask were calm as still water, seemingly unaffected by Shentu's words.

Hmph! Buy?

Hayward was originally summoned by my father. For some reason, he fell into Old Watt's service later. Now I re-signed the Dark Pact with the Dark Merchant—this is just bringing him back to his rightful place!

Hayward's original term of service had long expired, but with this new pact, he can unleash even greater power—that's the true meaning of summoning a Ghost Rider!

But the Wolf King didn't bother explaining this to Shentu. He just said coolly, "I gave you a chance, but you rejected it. Don't blame me for what happens next. Aken, take them away."

"Yes, Master." Aken stepped forward, but Wolf reached out to stop him.

"Master, the white wolves made great sacrifices in this battle. Could you show mercy to White Wolf?" Wolf pleaded.

Dammit!

Will's blood boiled over at those words. Did the mole just expose himself?

Fire blazed in his wolf eyes; he could hold back no longer.

"Wolf! I've spared you three times, but you keep testing my limits! Do you have a death wish?"

Wolf's front paws tensed. "I dare not, Master…"

"Bah!" Will's raised tail slammed down, shattering the plaza's stone tiles. "I knew there was a mole in the clan, but I never thought it would be you!"

Wolf's whole body trembled. "Master, w-where is this coming from?"

Will suddenly clamped his paw around Wolf's neck, his fangs nearly touching the other wolf's face. "Why did the human army ambush us in the Wolf God Mountains half a year ago, catching us completely off guard? You were the only one handling our top-secret orders! If you're not the mole, who is?"

"I…"

"And tonight—how did Seer Orek escape? Who tipped him off? Why did the human legion detonate the dungeon exactly when we broke through the Iron Shield Gate?"

Wolf's eyes widened. "I don't know…"

"First you tried to trick me into retreating, now you beg for the white wolves! Wolf, you've made up your mind to betray me, haven't you? You don't even bother hiding it anymore!"

Will flung Wolf away, watching him collapse to his knees.

"Wolf, tonight we won a great victory. I was going to restore your position as wolf guard. But your performance has disappointed me deeply." Will took a deep breath, his voice cold. "I hereby strip you of your rank and order you to be imprisoned for interrogation!"

Wolf's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably, his expression one of stunned helplessness.

"Brother, don't make this hard for me." Aken extended a paw to Wolf.

Wolf stared at the ground in terror, but after a moment, he regained his composure. Deep disappointment filled his eyes as he slowly stood, unbuckled his wolf blade, and handed it to Aken, as if accepting his fate. Then he turned silently and followed the guards toward the tower.

White Wolf and Shentu followed behind him, their bodies bound by the Violet Soul-Binding Chains. White Wolf kept snarling "liar," while Shentu's face was ashen, his lips pressed tight.

Will gazed at Wolf's retreating back, his eyes deep as an abyss, his heart tangled with conflicting emotions.

Did I make the right call this time?

"Will, I have an idea." Just as the Wolf King was lost in thought, the Fox Sorcerer twirled her hips and sidled up to him.

"Speak."

"You're going to march south immediately to attack the next city?"

"Correct. Our next target is Awakening City."

"Awakening City? I hear it's the largest town in the Northern Realm and a key stronghold guarding the Queen's Road. Take it, and the path to the Capital will be wide open. Your strategy is so clear! But…"

"But what?" Will knew the fox's praise was just a setup.

"The full moon night is ending. Without the blood moon's boost, future battles will be tough fights."

"That's obvious." Will frowned. Haven't you seen what happened to Wolf?

Yu leaned forward, pressing her shoulder against his arm armor. "Will, what I mean is, the wolf army needs reinforcements. We can't count on those tundra warlords, but there are rogue, unowned magical beasts on the snowfield! Maybe we can recruit them to strengthen our forces. Let me go try, okay?"

So that's it.

Will let out a sigh of relief. He thought for a moment, then said, "Rogue beasts are unowned, and they've always valued their freedom. They might not obey my orders… but you can try if you want."

"Great! I'll leave right away. I hope to be back by the second sunset." Yu tapped her fan handle with her fingertips, grinning.

"Even if you don't recruit any, it's fine. I already have a foolproof plan. Whether it's the battle for Awakening City or the Capital, the wolf army will win!" Will's expression was stern, his voice firm.

"Ah?"

Amid Yu's shocked gaze, Will stepped directly into the pile of dismembered corpses in the plaza.

These hundred Dark Pacts have put me in new debt, but they'll bring me total victory!

The Wolf King spread his right paw and howled at the sky.

The scar on his paw's palm suddenly spiderwebbed with cracks. From those cracks, tendrils of black mist seeped out like wraiths, winding along the lines of the scar. The mist grew thicker and thicker, carrying a stench of decay, rising like a ghost and twisting in the night air.

Moments later, the mist condensed into arrows, which shot out and pierced the foreheads of the scattered corpses in the plaza.

Ghost Riders, awaken!

A corpse beneath the Watch Tower twitched first, its iron armor screeching with a grinding, clanking sound.

Then more dead bodies arched their backs, their fingers curling like spider legs, black blood oozing from their joints, and their milky eyes burst into a brilliant blue glow.

Witness victory through terror!

The dead human soldiers stood up one by one, opening their sapphire-blue eyes and turning their necks at impossible angles toward the Wolf King.

In the plaza, Yu, the wolf guards, black wolf soldiers, and gray wolf riders stared in horror. Even Hayward stood frozen, watching the scene unfold.

Bow to me.

The black mist swirled into a vortex under the blood moon, and the hundred Ghost Riders knelt before the Wolf King in unison.

With this Ghost Rider battalion, I am invincible!

Will let out a wild laugh. "From this moment on, the Wolf King Era begins! Hahahaha! Wahahahahaha—"

The Wolf King's arrogant laughter echoed long into the night, where the blood moon hung high.

And on the horizon, a faint streak of dawn had already crept over the sky.