Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

He activated Eye of the Beast King again, forcing the snow wolf to communicate.

Under his control, the wolf growled cautiously at the Terrorclaw Demon Wolf, as if asking something.

“…What the hell is it doing?”

The Terrorclaw Demon Wolf—Axel—was genuinely confused.

He’d noticed the direction Watson and Harris had fled earlier and followed them immediately. What surprised him wasn’t that they’d returned—but that, upon encountering five Level Six Snow-Patterned Gray Wolves, they hadn’t run.

Instead, they’d started doing something.

Then came the howling. The response. The strange shift in the beasts’ behavior.

To be honest, Axel had nearly shit himself when that terrifying aura first appeared. If that thing had actually attacked from the north, running would’ve been the only option.

Fortunately, nothing followed.

Still, the situation made no sense.

Except for one thing.

This snow wolf was not normal.

And Axel had heard Watson clearly—

They were planning to tell the Snow-Patterned Gray Wolves his location.

“I want to see what kind of bullshit you’re pulling…”

With that thought, Axel shifted forms—becoming a Level Seven wolf-type mutated beast he knew well—and landed directly in the center of the confrontation.

“Awooo…”

The Snow-Patterned Gray Wolf Squad lowered their massive heads, low growls rumbling from their throats as they stared Axel down.

They were confused.

A powerful mutated beast—one full level above them—had appeared out of nowhere. Worse, it was clearly a wolf of the same lineage, yet one they had never seen before.

A Terrorclaw Wolf.

They hesitated.

And Axel was even more baffled than they were.

“…Why the hell aren’t they backing off?”

Among mutated beasts of the same or similar species, level suppression was absolute. A lower-level beast would instinctively feel fear, submission—sometimes outright paralysis—when facing a superior of its own kind.

Yet these five Level Six Snow-Patterned Gray Wolves, though clearly tense and uneasy, were still radiating hostility.

They were trying to force him away.

Axel’s gaze flicked past them, landing on the crescent-shaped spring behind.

“…Is it because of that pool?”

His perception sharpened instantly. The water within the spring carried an abnormally dense, active fluctuation of primal force—far richer than anything in the surrounding wilderness.

But then he realized something else.

The Gray Wolves’ attention wasn’t really on the spring.

It was on the snow wolf.

“…They’re not the same pack?”

Harris and Watson exchanged a quick glance, unease creeping in.

“Quick!” Watson hissed. “Get them to drive it away!”

Harris’s pupils flashed strangely. The snow wolf growled sharply.

At once, the Snow-Patterned Gray Wolf Squad began to fan out, slowly surrounding Axel.

Axel’s heart sank.

“…That Awakening Skill is this strong?”

He was genuinely stunned. Harris was somehow forcing Level Six mutated beasts to override their instinctive fear and attack a higher-level predator.

That shouldn’t have been possible.

Unless—

“…It’s the snow wolf.”

Axel’s eyes narrowed.

He focused, extending his perception—and immediately detected a foreign mental link between Harris and the snow wolf.

“A control-type mental Awakening?”

Axel slowly raised his head.

His massive eyes locked directly onto Harris’s.

The instant their gazes met, Harris felt a freezing pressure slam into his mind. On instinct, he pushed his own mental energy forward, attempting to make contact.

His reasoning was simple.

Even if he couldn’t control a higher-level beast, Eye of the Beast King could still allow him to sense its thoughts. And this Terrorclaw Wolf didn’t look like a specialist in mental combat.

At worst, it would fail harmlessly.

Instead— His world exploded.

“AAAH—!”

Harris screamed as his eyes snapped shut. Blood leaked from the corner of one eye as he collapsed to his knees.

Backlash.

A catastrophic backlash.

“Har—Harris?!” Watson shouted, panicking. “What happened?!”

Harris had actually been injured by mental recoil.

Watson’s face drained of color.

“Could it be… a Level Six Spirit Awakener nearby?” His voice trembled as he scanned the surroundings. “A Level Six Spirit Awakener could kill us with a thought—why would they bother with tricks like this?!”

He never imagined the truth.

The Level Six Spirit Awakener was standing right in front of him.

Axel had simply followed Harris’s spiritual link—and flooded it with overwhelming spiritual force, crushing his mind head-on.

Harris collapsed, convulsing on the ground.

Watson stood frozen, helpless.

Neither of them noticed what happened next.

The snow wolf’s eyes briefly went vacant.

Then they cleared. And then—burned with fury.

“Awooo! Awooo!”

It howled violently at Harris.

The Snow-Patterned Gray Wolves stiffened.

Their confusion vanished, replaced by naked aggression—no, hatred.

“Oh shit—!”

Only then did the rest of the group realize how badly things had gone wrong. They turned to run—

Too late.

Their own snow wolves suddenly went berserk, bucking violently and throwing their riders to the ground.

A heartbeat later, the massive snow-striped wolves pounced.

The slaughter was swift. Messy. Final.

Axel watched calmly as the Awakened Ones were torn apart. He made no move to intervene.

He had never believed in mercy for enemies.

When Watson and Harris finally fell silent, the snow wolf stepped forward. It lifted its head slightly, posture proud, almost regal.

The Snow-Patterned Gray Wolves immediately lowered their heads, forming a line on either side of the canyon path in submission.

The snow wolf didn’t even glance at Axel.

It walked forward, unhurried, and stepped into the crescent-shaped spring.

Axel took a step after it—

The Gray Wolf Squad snapped around instantly, baring their fangs at him.

“…Fine.”

Axel sat down and flicked his tail.

Primal force surged violently.

Half an hour later, the snow wolf leaped out of the pool.

Axel’s pupils contracted. It was now Level Three.

Advancing an entire level in less than an hour was absurd. Even more unsettling—

A new, eye-like mark had formed between the wolf’s brows, radiating a strange, captivating presence.

“You have aided prince. Well done.”

Axel stiffened. The message hadn’t been spoken. It had been projected directly into his mind. “…It has mental abilities?”

Now fully aware, Axel sensed clear mental fluctuations coming from the snow wolf. There were no spoken words—yet meaning flowed effortlessly between them.

And in that instant, Axel understood.

“I sensed something abnormal in that human’s mental fluctuations,” Axel transmitted coldly. “I never expected it would actually help you.”

Its consciousness carried unmistakable hatred. “Humans are truly cunning and disgusting. That human dared to enslave me… Killing him so easily was far too merciful. He should have been dragged back and handed over to Father—so he could suffer properly.”

Axel’s heart skipped a beat.

Father…?

A suspicion took shape in his mind, but he kept his composure.

“So,” Axel transmitted calmly, “that human attacked you because you wanted to enter this spring?”

“That’s right.” The Snowclaw Wolf’s thoughts carried a hint of pride. “You’re sharp. No wonder you were able to disrupt his ability.”

It continued, irritation bleeding through its mental waves.

“I waited so long for this chance to approach the spring. Hmph. With that annoying multi-eyed monster around, Father would never allow it. I finally found an opportunity—only to be tricked by a human. Damn unlucky.”

Multi-eyed monster…

Axel nearly laughed out loud.

If he wasn’t mistaken, that “monster” could only be Morris, the lord of the City of Sin.

But that remark confirmed something crucial.

This seemingly naïve Snowclaw Wolf was indeed the offspring of the Icefield Wolf King.

Axel couldn’t help but admire the sheer audacity of Valentino and Isos. They had actually dared to capture and imprison the Icefield Wolf King’s offspring—during Morris’s absence, no less.

One misstep, and the City of Sin could have been wiped off the map.

Axel’s thoughts raced. Then he deliberately projected a trace of awe and caution into his mental voice.

“You… you are the child of the King of the Plains?” Axel said. “Humans have grown increasingly violent and dangerous. I wish to seek his protection.”