My Werewolf System

Chapter 1711  The Legacy of the Dem Family

The trio stood before the heavy wooden doors of the Alpha’s office, a strange, prickling nervousness settling over them. It was a tension they hadnʼt felt even when facing down a horde of frenzied werewolves. They were silently praying that they wouldnʼt walk in to find Galdark sitting at that desk again; Lupus had already joked that if he saw Galdark’s face in Jackʼs chair one more time, he was going to personally punch him.

When the door finally swung open, it was Galdark who pulled it inward. For a fleeting second, the group felt a surge of collective annoyance, until they looked past him. There, sitting behind the desk, was Jack.

The sight of him was jarring. It had only been a day or so since they last saw him, but it felt as if Jack had aged decades in those few hours. They didnʼt know his exact age, but the lines on his face were deeper, and his eyes carried a weary weight that wasnʼt there before. The burden of leadership and the tragedy of the curse had clearly taken their toll.

“Galdark says the three of you have been looking for me,” Jack stated, his voice a bit raspier than usual. “And the first thing I would like to say is that I apologize. In truth, the first thing I should have done after the sun rose was come to you three and thanked you for everything.”

He leaned forward, his gaze sincere. “But I didnʼt, and that is completely on me. I wanted to see you myself to give you my deepest thanks. If it wasn’t for the three of you, I donʼt know what would have happened to this kingdom.”

The trio paused, exchanging glances. They realized they hadnʼt actually planned what to say. The system told them to ”Speak to Jack,” but it hadnʼt provided a script.

“We only did what we thought was right,” Gary answered, breaking the silence. “Honestly, I wish we could have saved more people. Our plan wasnʼt perfect. Even knowing what was coming... it still ended up being a disaster. I heard you had to leave on an emergency? It must have been important.”

Gary spoke carefully, hoping that even though the quest was ending, he could squeeze out a bit more information for their own time.

“Actually, it has everything to do with what you just said,” Jack explained. “I went searching for Lenny and Bliss again. They told me once that when I truly needed to find them, I would. But even now, I was unable to locate them. However, the trip allowed me to clear my mind.”

Jack stood up, looking out the window at the city he protected. “I’m going to create a system, a bookkeeper of sorts, to keep a record of all of this. I want to make sure no one in the future has to go through what we just endured. They will know for generations why the curse exists and how to fight it. We will figure out a way to stop Unzoku if he ever returns.”

He turned back to them with a newfound spark of determination. “With or without Bliss, we will create powerful restrictions to keep ourselves in check. We will forge more powerful weapons so that Unzoku can never control us again. That is what I have decided.”

Hearing those words, the three travelers realized they were witnessing the literal birth of the Werewolf System. This was where the rules, the weapons, and the lore they lived by had originated. But a chilling thought occurred to them: if Jack had set all of this up, what had gone wrong in the centuries between then and now? Why was so much of this information lost to history?

“Jack.”

Gary’s voice suddenly snapped through the heavy atmosphere. He lifted his hand, giving the legendary hero a firm thumbs up. “You did a good job protecting this city. You did a good job protecting your pack, and you’ve done an even better job protecting your family. I know you’re my ancestor in some way, but I think you did the Dem family name proud.”

Gary’s eyes were bright, filled with a genuine emotion that transcended the simulation. “I am proud to call you my great-grandfather, or great-grand-uncle, or whatever you are. I’m just proud to be related to someone like you.”

Lupus and Kai stared at Gary, their eyes wide with shock. They looked at him as if he had grown a second head, wondering why he was revealing so much so recklessly. Yet, seeing the pure, honest smile on Gary’s face, they couldnʼt bring themselves to stop him.

Jack paused, a look of bewilderment crossing his face before he chuckled softly. He didnʼt fully grasp the strange words Gary used, but he felt the weight of the sentiment. He realized that in all his years of being the ”Alpha Hero,” he couldnʼt remember the last time someone had simply told him he was doing a good job.

“Thank you,” Jack replied. “Come to think of it, what was your full name? I never managed to catch it, and I want to write it down in the records so the future remembers you as well.”

Gary chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Are you sure? Because I think it’s going to shock you. My name is Gary Dem. I have a feeling that if we lived in the same time, we would have been the best of friends.”

“Your name is Gary…Dem?” Jack replied.

As the final syllable of his name left his lips, the world began to blur. The office, Galdark, and the weary, smiling face of Jack Dem started to fade into white light.

[The Final Quest has been completed]

****

****