Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 76

The Alpha
The Two-Headed Alpha Wolf an animal that inhabited the forests of the North, a being that couldn’t be compared to those inside the Inner Layer of the Frozen Forest, but strong enough to threaten a Second Stage Warrior. They were animals that dominated the food chain outside of the Frozen Forest, which made most animals run to their nest as soon as they heard their howling.

They were race capable of only breeding females and could only give birth once in their lifetime, creating the next Alpha to lead and protect the pack. Because of that, when pregnant, the Two-Headed Alpha Wolf would become extremely cautious, causing it to lead the pack to the mountains in search of a safe hideout to give birth to the offspring. It was an instinctive action developed through the years that maintained the mother and child away from hunters and other beasts, who saw their meat as a strength elixir.

A few days ago, the scouts assigned to keep an eye on the surroundings had reported a pack of wolves heading up the mountain where their hideout was located. At first, Henry dismissed this information as useless, they were not here to hunt down these animals, but to hinder Luak’s successful settlement until Aritreia’s forced arrived. However, everything changed when he saw the large group leaving Luak’s camp, led by a possibly Fourth Stage Warrior. It seemed like fate was on his side, helping him cross the difficult obstacles ahead of him.

During the last year of peace, Henry occasionally assisted Luke and a few attendants in organizing the information within the Royal Library, sorting out the few books that survived his ancestors’ hands. There, he stumbled upon a worn-out book that covered the various wolves’ species that inhabited Stahl’s lands, detailing their characteristics and their customs. The author emphasized the Two-Headed Alpha Wolf territorial characteristic, its savageness, and its mother instinct.

With the knowledge that Elton was looking for food and betting on the stupidity mind of the northern captains, who had no knowledge on warfare, a plan began to take shape in Henry’s mind. He decided to use the Alpha’s howls to scare the animals in the forest, and at the same time, lure Luak’s team towards his position. With that though in mind, Henry instructed the scouts to look through the mountain, assigning Grok, Zahra, and Leier to search near the peak, as they could handle the cold and thin air conditions.

Grok had spent his entire life hunting down and running away from dangerous beasts inside the Frozen Forest, which made him acquired remarkable tracking skills despite his dumb mindset. In just a few minutes, he managed to locate the wolf’s lair, a cave with its entrance partially blocked by the snow. The barbarian’s instincts told him to storm inside the cave and catch the prey, but Henry’s orders were like a hammer or a burning mark in his mind, allowing him to control his desires and go back to relay his findings to the king, giving a pitiful look to the cave.

Hearing the news, Henry effortlessly traversed the snowy mountain; his steps seemingly glued to the slippery rocks as his Mana Circuits flooded with energy, maintaining his body temperature, and allowing him to breath under stressful conditions. He was utilizing the Sun God Breathing Technique, which allowed him to take the Mana from the outside and circulate it through his Mana Circuits, before storing it inside his heart.

The heart of a Warrior was constantly being strengthened by Mana, which allowed the cells of this organ to mutate and to hold more energy, while also allowing the Mana to run faster through it. The first three stages of a warrior focus not only on honing their physical stages and mental capabilities, but also developing a connection with Mana, learning how to guide it through the Mana Circuits. The warriors also need to strengthen their Mana Circuits and strengthen their hearts, while also storing mana into the heart’s cells, which acts like a reservoir for Mana. Those who lack talent, bloodline and the right technique are fated to remain within the boundaries of the first three stages.

The Fourth Stage onwards could only be conquered by those with the right bloodline, talent, and technique. It was a stage when the mana can be externalized and used to accomplish extraordinary feats, thanks to the expansion of the Mana Circuits and the strengthened of the heart’s cells, which allowed the energy to course faster through his body and store more energy inside them. According to Luther, those in the Fifth Stage would go through a mental transformation rather than a body transformation, awakening some kind of sixth or seventh sense, a wall that Henry still wasn’t able to overcome.

Henry got to the rugged cave within a few moments and sneaked into it without an ounce of hesitation, covering his hands with the fiery mana of Sun God Technique to take out some snow that blocked his way. Although bearable, he could feel his fingers burning in pain. The interior of the cave was completely dark and the noise of water drops hitting the water echoed around. However, as soon as he took his first steps, hundreds of glowing red eyes cut through the darkness.

Henry waved his hands and covered it on fire, allowing the surroundings to become clearly visible. The cavern was large enough to fit hundreds of wolves that surrounded a flat platform in the middle of the cave, where a towering two-headed black wolf snuggled while nursing its offspring. The Alpha slightly opened its red eyes and bared its fangs towards the intruder while protectively huddling with its cub, one head blocking Henry’s view while the other kept looking at him. Although it was weakened after giving birth, it was still an animal that commanded the food chain around here.

Following their leader, the wolves around growled fiercely and bared their fangs at him, but Henry’s grey eyes were stoic as he looked at them. He had no time to lose. Henry took one step forward and two wolves suddenly jumped at him, one targeting his neck and the other his heels. However, in Henry’s eyes, these attacks seemed sluggish.

Henry reacted with incredible speed, his hands flashed and seized the wolf aiming for his upper part, causing a small whimper to sound throughout the cave before fire engulfed the animal. In a swift motion, Henry powerfully threw the burning and whimpering animal towards the Alpha while his right foot fell on the other wolf’s head, crushing its skull against the ground, like a hammer, killing it on the spot.

Then, Henry rapidly channeled the Mana to his feet and dashed forwards, like a fiery bullet, turning the shallow snow under his feet into steam. The wolves in front of him tried to block, but Henry’s fists were like the soul reaper’s scythe, either beheading them or crushing their skulls. In a matter of seconds, Henry appeared in front of the Alpha, right after the burning wolf hit her on the forehead of the most menacing head, which was intently watching over Henry’s movements. The Alpha realized instinctively that it must keep its eyes on the intruder; being hit by the burning object was a better option than losing sight of Henry.

As soon as Henry got in the attacking range, the Alpha’s head shot forward, its sharp teeth poised to snap off the king’s head. However, Henry easily took a step to the side and rotated his body with precision, getting closer to the other head of the beast, which was protectively hiding its offspring. It seemed to wait for this moment. The Alpha’s second head was like a whip swinging at Henry, but the king lifted his hand and effortlessly stopped the motion, like an adult stopping a children’s punch. The head cried pitifully, feeling its fur and skin burning, which gave Henry enough room to grab the cub and jump towards the exit of the cave with a single leap.

*Howl*

The Two-Headed Alpha Wolf angrily howled, seeing its offspring in danger as Henry threateningly held it by the neck. The king flashed a small smile and walked out of the cave, as if he had just taken a stroll, being greeted by the sight of the never-ending mountain chain and the huge grey forest below that stretched infinitely.

*Boom*

The ice blocking the entrance of the wolves’ cave exploded as the massive figure of the Alpha walked out of it. It’s red eyes burning in anger as it looked at Henry holding its whimpering cub hostage. Luckily, Henry had already dismissed the flame in his hands, or else the small wolf would have been killed.

Seeing the mad wolf, Henry lifted the small cub in his hand by the neck, finally seeing the puppy’s appearance. Contrary to its mother, this one was white, and its eyes were of a bright blue, brighter than the skies. Furthermore, there wasn’t only two heads, but three. It was strange, but Henry had no time to mull over this.

“Howl!” – He ordered as he looked at the Alpha, making the pub in his hands visible.

There, almost on top of the mountain, the Alpha became a bell under Henry’s command, howling countless times. The anger escaping out of its throat enough to send even the strongest of the animals inside the forest to their nests and catch Elton’s attention.