Chapter 82: Tucking Tails Chapter 82: Tucking Tails The moment his form flickered into full visibility, every wolf’s ears snapped upright in attention. The betas tensed. The male alpha’s hackles rose—finally able to sense the presence that had been lurking within fifty meters of him. The alpha’s stance shifted into a fierce one, his entire posture radiating hostility. Because now he could feel it clearly: the being that had appeared before him... was comparable to him. Still sliding back, Leo swept his hand out, summoning Shyra and Niri in a single motion. Both beasts materialized in front of him, landing lightly on the ground. Shyra immediately arched her back and took a battle stance, violet pupils narrowing into sharp slits as she met the alpha’s gaze head-on. Thump! The moment their eyes locked, the alpha’s pupils constricted to needlepoints. His entire body went taut, fur bristling, muscles coiling with instinctive alarm. The rest of the pack, still unaware of Leo’s true strength and judging him by his smaller build, didn’t react much—at first. But the alpha’s reaction alone was enough to snap all of them into heightened alertness. Then Shyra stepped forward. The shift was instantaneous. The female alpha stiffened. Both betas recoiled slightly, standing rigid to protect the omega and the pups. And the omega let out a sharp yelp, immediately calling all the pups behind her as she backed away protectively. To them, Shyra was an extremely dangerous entity—one whose presence alone clawed at their survival instincts. They could feel it deep in their bones. Even with their alpha pair present... Shyra was someone who could hurt them—severely. Leo’s sleeves had been shredded by the shockwave, fabric fluttering loosely around his elbows. His forearms were bright red, swollen as if someone had slammed boulders into him. Heat throbbed beneath his skin—then, within a heartbeat, the swelling drained away and his arms returned to their normal colour. His regeneration kicked in cleanly. As he finally skidded to a halt, he lifted his head—and found every wolf frozen in full alert. Bodies taut. Ears razor-sharp. Fangs bared in a show of unified fury and fear. But then his gaze drifted to his own beasts, and his jaw parted slightly in stunned surprise. Shyra now stood a full head taller than the alpha wolf himself. Even if her official rank was lower, her presence dwarfed the pack. And Niri... she no longer resembled a small five-year-old girl. Her frame, posture, and aura now resembled that of a teenager—her growth visible not only in appearance but also in the way she carried herself. A faint ripple of awareness brushed over Leo’s senses.Other beasts, those within fifty meters of his detection range, had fled the very moment Shyra appeared. Predator, Leo thought. She’s viewed as a predator among all of them. The wolves, however, were not lacking in courage. Even standing before something that made their instincts scream, the alpha male planted himself firmly at the front, a deep growl rumbling from his chest. His stance screamed one thing: if it came down to it, he would die to protect the ones behind him. The noble-blooded beta and the female alpha stepped up beside him, forming a tight, protective triangle. Then the three exchanged a look. A nod passed between them. And— Fhis! Fhis! Fis! All three blurred, vanishing from sight. In the next moment, Leo blinked—and realized the pups were gone. The omega wolf? Gone. The other beta? Gone. It took him a second to process the sudden shift before his senses caught up. They were already a hundred meters away, sprinting at a frantic pace. Each leap covered nearly ten meters, their bodies stretching and contracting like arrows fired across the forest floor. Focusing his vision, Leo spotted the pups clinging desperately to the backs of the alphas—some on the male, some on the female, some on the beta. The smaller omega and the remaining beta, unable to carry anyone due to their size, matched pace beside them with impressive speed. Together, the pack formed a tight fleeing formation and disappeared into the forest—running in the opposite direction of the treasure. They had tucked their tails and run. Leo was left staring blankly. "...Are all wolves like this?" But before he could think deeper— Thud! Thud! Thud! Heavy footsteps shook the earth. The sound echoed from the top of the mound. Leo turned sharply—and there it was. The same three-cored Rock Golem, a towering seven-meter hulk of stone and malice, stomped straight toward him. But this time, instead of panic, Leo felt a slow smile spread across his face. Because he was no longer afraid. A low 3-star or below?Those rankings didn’t intimidate him anymore. And he needed to test his new strength. The golem had come at the perfect time. Rock Golem (Pseudo 3-star) — Magical Construct "Not Puppet?" Leo muttered. Then it clicked. He remembered Dale mentioning that the golem only started acting somewhat intelligently after fighting for a while. Leo narrowed his eyes, observing the construct’s rigid stance and the faint glow pulsing within its three cores. "Could it be... the cores give golems some kind of consciousness once they’ve battled long enough? Turning them into puppets afterwards?" he wondered aloud. "Or maybe that’s just how golems function—gain experience, adapt over time—and ’puppet’ is simply the name used once they’ve awakened enough intelligence?" He didn’t dwell too long on it. Instead, he let his senses sweep across the battlefield, searching for other three-cored variants. He found two. One was locked in combat with a Thunderhide Elk, a low 3-star beast. That fight looked evenly matched—weight for weight, power for power. But the second... A Shadowstripe Lynx, pseudo 3-star, was on its last legs. Its body trembled, fur matted with blood. Every breath seemed laboured, as if the next moment it might collapse entirely. Yet it fought on, flickering in and out of shadow—its movements eerily similar to Shyra’s stealth-based abilities. Leo’s eyes sharpened. A lynx ...A variant species of Shyra’s. He immediately marked it in his mind. Its core can help Shyra’s Bloodline advance, even if it’s a small amount. And, sure enough, when he inspected the constructs they were fighting, he confirmed it: Both of those golems had ’Puppet’ added to their names now. --- A/N: Alright! I admit I was trying to bite more than I can chew(︶︹︺). There’s nothing wrong with trying out my luck, right? But of course you, yes you(｀Д´)ﾉ—can at least comment, give a review or send some small gifts(இ﹏இ). I promise, if they feel sufficient, I will not kill the wolves! Come on, even I will feel bad killing them off... The wolf pack offer is valid until a future major event.