At Thorian's command, Vigil advanced, with Ventus shadowing him closely. Although the priest demonstrated a slight hesitancy, the wind magus moved nonchalantly, displaying no fear of the pack of giant wolves who would readily liberate his flesh from the confine of his bones.

As Vigil neared one of the injured wolves, it returned his approach with a fearsome stare and an eerie growl.

"Let him work his magic," commanded the wolf king, surprising the other wolves. "I want to see for myself whether this is true or merely the last desperate fabrication of a dying man."

The wolves reluctantly complied, permitting Vigil to draw near. With a brief incantation, he cast his Moon's Healing spell. Moonlight materialized in his palm before engulfing the injured wolf's body.

The beast yelped in surprise as the divine energy set to work, healing its gaping wound. Flesh wove itself together, concealing the exposed bone, followed by a new layer of hide and fur to camouflage any scarring.

Thorian glanced at the king of the direwolves, who was staring in disbelief at the spectacle Vigil was performing. "Is this magic..." he murmured, awestruck. "Incredible."

"Proceed to the next one," Thorian commanded.

And so, Vigil continued healing the injured dire wolves, one after the other. Over time, the skepticism and suspicion in the king's voice gradually transformed into surprise and admiration. Before long, Vigil had tended to all the visible wounded, leaving only the crippled.

"There is one more wolf I wish you to heal," the king of the wolves spoke gravely, his tone devoid of its former arrogance. "It's my son."

Thorian nodded in acknowledgment, and the king led them beyond the clearing. There, next to a tree, lay a gargantuan wolf. His size was eclipsed only by the king himself, his body worn and fatigued.

"He has been in this state the whole night," the dire wolf king voiced with palpable pain. "It feels as though I'm watching my son slowly fade away right in front of me."

Without missing a beat, Vigil cast his spell once more. But as the moonlight dissipated from the wolf's body, its condition remained unchanged.

"Is he incurable?!" the king questioned, his voice a blend of fury and despair.

"Hold on a moment," Thorian furrowed his brows, meticulously examining the beast. "I think I understand what's wrong with him."

With a glimmer of hope reignited, the king urged, "Please, save my son, and I promise on my name I'll form the pact with you."

Thorian nodded, then approached the languishing creature. Its eyes were half-open, but it lacked the energy to respond or react. It simply lay there, listless.

Witnessing the wolf in this condition, Thorian grimaced, It’s most likely that parasite.

Thorian then laid his hand on the beast's body, methodically examining every inch of the dire wolf. He ensured he didn't overlook any part of the beast's form. As his fingers sifted through the wolf's hide, Thorian could feel the skeletal structure beneath. The creature had lost so much muscle and fat in the short time it had been suffering, he could palpate the entirety of its ribcage.

All eyes were fixed on Thorian as he performed his examination. While Ventus and Vigil watched with interest, the king was utterly absorbed by Thorian's actions. A swirl of emotions was evident in the king's eyes. On one hand, he feared Thorian might inflict harm upon his son. On the other, he harbored hope that Thorian would uncover the source of the malady plaguing his offspring.

"Found it." Finally, Thorian reached under the wolf's belly and pulled sharply.

The king was on the brink of launching into action, believing Thorian was causing his child harm, but a devilish screech froze him in his tracks. In Thorian's hand was a grotesque, small creature, its large mouth filled with a disarrayed set of teeth.

Thorian cast the creature onto the ground before incinerating it with a fireball, silencing its screeches.

"That was a vampiric leech," Thorian turned to explain. "It's a parasite that can only survive by draining the energy and vitality of its host. Your son was unfortunate to encounter it."

"Will he be okay now?" The king asked, his voice a combination of hope and fear.

"He should recover quite quickly," Thorian nodded in reassurance. "He just needs plenty of nourishment and time to rest. He will return to his old self soon."

A moment of silence followed as the king reflected, his eyes clouded with a myriad of emotions. After a few moments, he lifted his gaze to Thorian and stated, "Approach me. Let us solidify this pact."

Thorian complied, stepping toward the king. As he drew closer, the colossal wolf lifted its paw, puncturing it with a sharp fang. Blood began to trickle down its leg.

"We must exchange blood," the king clarified. "That's the only way we can form a genuine soul pact. A bond that cannot be broken until death."

"Let's proceed," Thorian agreed, biting his thumb. Blood trickled down his hand, which he pressed against the enormous beast's paw. A blinding light of myriad colors forced Thorian to shield his eyes.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

When he reopened them, the king of the dire wolves remained before him, seemingly unchanged. Yet Thorian felt a new sensation deep within his heart, both a confining shackle and a comforting connection.

"You are not as weak as I assumed," The king’s words echoed in Thorian's mind. Taken aback momentarily, Thorian quickly regained his composure. Leveraging his familiarity with a similar skill, he responded in kind.

"You will have access to this type of power too."

The wolf king grinned in response, asking, "What is your name?"

"Thorian, Lord of Wolvendale," he answered out loud this time.

The king nodded before reciprocating, "I am Harald, King of the Dire Wolves."

Thorian's lips curled into a subtle smile, "Well then, shall we head to your new home?"

Harald gave a nod of agreement, "I am interested to see what kind of place you have established for yourself."

"Hopefully it would be to your satisfaction," Thorian returned with a warm grin.

Harald bellowed a chilling laugh before pivoting towards his kin. "My children, from this day forward, we shall be forever bonded with Thorian and his tribe. We will defend them as they will us, echoing through the generations to come!"

The air reverberated with the unified howl of fifty direwolves, lending weight to their monarch's decree. His words bore the power of an unchallengeable celestial edict.

Chuckling at the spectacle, Thorian glanced back at his companions, Ventus and Vigil, who stood frozen in awe. "Well, it seems we should put on a show of our own."

The small contingent intermingled with their newfound allies, with both Ventus and Vigil sealing their own soul pacts with chosen direwolves. The group decided to linger until Harald's son regained enough strength to walk.

After half an hour, the wolf prince's pallor had entirely transformed, hinting at a resurgence of vitality. He was still far from chasing game through the forest but could at least keep pace with the group.

Mounted atop Harald, Thorian guided the united band towards Wolvendale, threading their way through the dense forest. As they navigated the labyrinth of trees, Thorian decided to evaluate the development of his two abilities.

Rock Bullet Description You create a barrage of rocks that fly toward your enemies, pummeling them and leaving them vulnerable. Proficiency 53.2%

Wind Gust Description You summon a powerful gust of wind that can knock your enemies off balance, extinguish fires, and enhance your speed and agility. Proficiency 48.7%

Thorian's smile broadened at the tangible progress he'd made. He was inching ever closer to achieving his coveted class advancement. But as his gaze roamed across his display, another detail seized his attention.

Soul-Bound Companion Harald (Alpha Direwolf)

A concentrated stare at this section of the interface summoned another panel, revealing Harald's statistics.

Status Panel Race Alpha Direwolf Level 12/35 (exp: 234/1900) Lifespan 50 years Stats Strength 72 Agility 98 Constitution 67 Mana 23 Skills Feral Leadership (Passive) Howl of the Lord (Active) Wind Leap (Active) Dire Rend (Active) Bestial State (Active)

The amount of stat points is very high, and their distribution is also good. His skills are top-notch.

Thorian offered a nod of approval before refocusing his attention on the surrounding forest. Their party's sheer size deterred most creatures from daring to obstruct their path. The exceptions were evolved species, such as Thri-kreens and Thundermashers, who braved the risk. Nevertheless, Thorian provided support with his Wind Gust and Rock Bullet skills, while the direwolf pack efficiently dealt with these threats.

As they continued their journey, a distant rustle of underbrush echoed towards them. The clamor was reminiscent of a stampeding horde of monsters.

Thorian tensed, preparing for the impending onslaught. He quietly hoped the incoming creatures were of a more manageable variety. Even their sizable group would struggle to stave off a swarm of rolling Shelltrotters.

What emerged from the dense forest, however, was far beyond Thorian's wildest predictions. A tall bipedal creature, its white fur contrasted starkly against the golden armor encasing its chest, burst forth.

"Forlune...?" Thorian's voice faltered, his heart tightening with the emergence of unforeseen scenarios. “What are you doing here?”