After everything that had occurred, with Gary pushing himself to his utmost limit, the Vampire King had claimed that he only wished to have a simple talk. It was a hard pill for Gary and the rest of the Howlers to swallow. It felt like a cruel joke, as if they were being spat on after all that had transpired. The fact that someone could just walk into their territory, wreak havoc, and then casually suggest a discussion? It was infuriating. But in the end, Gary felt it was best to comply. The vampires didn't know it, and even his own men weren't aware, but right now, Gary was incredibly weak. So weak that he wouldn't stand a chance against the vampire leaders, let alone the King himself. 'I do wonder, though…' Gary thought, absentmindedly touching his earring. 'I can't transform into my Werewolf state, and all my skills are inactive. But my body still holds strength beyond that of a regular human. The system states I still have an energy pool, but I just can't use my skills. If a desperate situation arises, wielding the war hammer might come in handy.' There was another thing on his mind—his two active quests. One required him to settle the feud between vampires and humans. Even though their battle had come to an end, the system had not updated the quest, nor had it rewarded him. That meant things weren't truly settled yet. As for the second quest, this was the one he wanted to complete the most. [6/10 Vampires Defeated or Defeat a Vampire Leader] 'The number increased after my fight. Did some vampires get hurt from the aftermath of my battle with the Vampire King? If I can just complete this quest, my class upgrade should significantly increase my strength… but how am I supposed to do that?' In the end, he agreed to the meeting. The two groups decided to convene at the Wolf's Pool Club. Normally, Gary wouldn't allow just anyone into the club—it was their secret base, a place for only the most trusted members of the Howlers. But considering the vampires had already found them, and given the club's proximity to the battlefield, it was simply the most convenient location. Rather than going downstairs to the main office, they remained on the first floor. Several square tables—each capable of seating two to four people—had been pushed together. The Howlers sat on one side, while the Vampire King and the three vampire leaders took their seats on the other. The rest of the vampires lingered outside, keeping a close watch on their surroundings. Gary leaned forward, his fingers interlaced as he looked across the table at Lucien. "You said you came to test us. You want to propose some kind of alliance. So, what is it? What exactly do you want to discuss?" Lucien smiled, placing his hands together as he got straight to the point. "We have been in a feud with Lupus and his faction for quite some time now. Honestly, it's a problem that has existed for years. We managed to weaken them considerably, reducing them to the state they are in now. "However, due to… internal troubles, we were never able to fully commit to eliminating them. For a while, they were left unchecked. Now, they have amassed a considerable amount of power, more than we anticipated." Gary could already see where this was going. He had been informed that the vampires were considering stepping back and allowing the two Alphas to fight each other. Then, once the dust settled, they would swoop in and claim dominance over whoever remained. This was the very scenario Gary had been worried about before agreeing to the meeting. Marie, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke up. "Why are the two of you fighting in the first place?" she asked, her tone sharp. "Right now, we don't have an issue with Lupus, and we don't have an issue with you. If you two want to fight each other, that's your business. Why do we need to be involved? Gary is peaceful. We have never attacked your kind." Marie took it upon herself to ask the critical questions. Kai wasn't here, and without him, she knew someone needed to step up. She imagined that Gary had to be exhausted after the battle, and the pressure of facing the vampire leaders wasn't making things any easier. "That is a fair question, young lady," Lucien admitted. "Actually, from what I understand, our relationship wasn't always hostile. Let me ask you something—did you know that werewolves turning on the full moon wasn't always the case?" A murmur ran through the Howlers. Marie furrowed her brow, intrigued. Explore stories at Freewebnovel 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚 "Long ago," Lucien continued, "werewolves lived alongside humans, acting as their protectors. But with great power comes great responsibility, and unfortunately, power often corrupts. I don't speak from speculation—I say this because we, too, have faced the same struggles. "But then, something changed. I don't know the exact details, but at some point, werewolves lost control on the night of the full moon. They succumbed to their bloodlust, unable to stop themselves. When this began happening, we vampires felt it was our duty to intervene. "Our purpose has always been to protect humans. That inevitably led to many clashes between our kinds. Some vampires even began hunting werewolves as trophies. The cycle of violence only escalated from there." Gary listened carefully. It was clear Lucien wasn't speaking just to fill the silence—he genuinely wanted them to understand the history that had shaped their current situation. "Humans have bad apples, just as we do," Lucien went on. "A few wrong choices, a few bad actors, and we have been at each other's throats ever since. You are still young, Gary. I'm not sure if you know your history well enough. "But one thing is certain—your pack member has a point. Right now, you don't have an issue with the Lupus gang. But will that still be true in the future? "For there has never been a peaceful time when two Alphas exist." As Lucien finished speaking, the doors suddenly swung open with a loud bang. The tension in the room spiked as everyone turned to see who had entered. A familiar figure stood in the doorway, a smirk tugging at his lips. "What's this… a meeting without me?" Kai said with a grin. "With all the damage outside, I'm surprised you're talking so peacefully." **** For updates on MWS and future works, please remember to follow me on my social media below. Instagram: jksmanga When news of MVS, MWS, or any other series comes out, you will be able to see it there first, and you can reach out to me. If I'm not too busy, I tend to reply back.