Rael and Rujed walked out of the cave, leaving behind walls of glowing ore and crushing mana.
At the entrance, Rael paused and looked back.
Rujed noticed. "What happened?"
"Nothing," Rael said. "Just want to create a barrier on the cave."
Rujed blinked. "You know how to create a barrier? That's usually done by magicians. It needs complex understanding of mana formulas, you know."
Rael shrugged lightly. "It'll take me a while. You go on ahead."
Rujed sighed. "Alright. Be safe, kid."
Rael chuckled. "Yeah. I will."
Rujed headed back toward the village, still muttering about crazy nephews and cursed kingdoms.
After a few minutes, once his uncle's presence was far enough, Rael turned back to the cave.
He raised his hand.
In less than a second, a flawless, invisible barrier spread over the cave entrance—layered seals, mana-laced walls, and spatial distortion locking it away from the world. To anyone else, it would look like just another piece of dead rock.
"Good enough," Rael murmured.
He turned and walked away—but not in the direction of the village.
He chose another path, moving through the rocky terrain until the mountains thinned and the wind grew colder. After a while, he stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
"I already sensed you," Rael said calmly. "So when are you going to show yourself?"
The air behind him warped.
From the shadows, something enormous stepped out—its body blending into darkness until it chose to be seen.
A wolf.
But no ordinary wolf.
Its fur was shimmering silver, like moonlight over water, and its presence alone made the air feel heavier. Its eyes glowed a cold, dangerous light. It was large enough to dwarf a carriage, lean and perfect—a living weapon born to hunt.
A Silver Shadow Wolf.
A mythical beast. One of the strongest and most dangerous species ever known on Earth. Twelve thousand years ago, their kind had killed nearly forty percent of humanity before suddenly disappearing from the history books. No one knew who stopped them.
History called it a mystery.
Azrael knew it was a massacre.
They still existed—but not on Earth. They lived on the Ninth World and the second last planet, Lunex.
So the question was simple.
How did one appear here? On a planet billions of kilometers away?
Rael stared straight into the wolf's eyes. His own eyes shifted, pupils thinning, a faint red glow swirling inside.
I sensed you three days ago, he thought. When those knights came. I assumed you were with them… but that was a mistake. These beasts can't be tamed by humans. Especially not him.
Before Rael could speak, the beast moved.
It lowered its head.
The giant wolf bent its front legs and pressed its snout toward the ground—in a bow.
"I, the king of all Silver Shadow Wolves," the creature said, voice deep and echoing in Rael's mind, "greet the one and true King of Demons. Please accept my humble apology, my lord. I followed you only to make sure you were truly who I thought you were."
Rael's expression didn't change. "I don't know what you're talking about. Who are you, and why are you here?"
The wolf raised its head slightly, a dangerous yet respectful smile in its eyes.
"My lord," it replied, "the fact that you sensed me… and do not fear me… is already proof enough."
Its gaze sharpened with reverence.
"You are the great Demon Lord—Azrael Draculis."