The Sanctuary went quiet after Sal Vera's whisper.
Too quiet.
Sai Ji sat on the edge of a carved stone platform, breath finally steadying, the blue-white torches casting long shadows that danced like ghosts around him. His heart still pounded—half from exhaustion, half from the crushing realization:
There was a "true body" of the Wolf King beneath him.
His body.
He didn't know whether to scream, laugh, or run.
His bodyguards stood at a respectful distance, but the way they kept glancing at him—like he might explode again—made him more anxious.
Sal Vera, on the other hand, looked calm.
Too calm.
Like someone who already knew the script he was just now reading.
Sai Ji rubbed his eyes.
"Okay… so there's a dungeon under all this. How do we get to it? Hidden staircase? Magic chant? A secret button?"
His bodyguard shook his head nervously.
"…It's not something we can open, Master."
Sal Vera smiled.
"That's because it isn't a door."
Sai Ji blinked.
"…What?"
She walked to the center of the hall where a smooth stone circle lay—flat, blank, unmarked. Nothing special about it.
Then she raised her hand as the air thickened.
The torches guttered.
The Sanctuary breathed.
And the stone beneath them responded—
softly at first—
thump…
thump…
thump…
Sai Ji froze.
"That's… a heartbeat."
Sal Vera's eyes gleamed.
"Your Dungeon isn't built. It's alive."
Right on cue—
DING—!
A massive notification slammed open in front of him.
SYSTEM ALERT — WOLF KING PERSONAL DOMAIN DETECTED
The Sovereign's True Den is awakening.
Access Requirement:
— Sovereign Presence (0.5% minimum)
— Recognition by Bound Companion
— Instinct Stabilization
Status:
Locked → Unlocking (34%)
Tampering Attempt: World System resisting
World System Warning: "Entity surpasses designated tier. Containment impossible."
Sai Ji's eyes widened.
"The System is… scared of me?"
Sal Vera corrected gently:
"The System cannot classify you. So it panics."
He wasn't sure that made him feel better.
The heartbeat grew louder.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
Sai Ji clutched his head.No pain. No fear.
Just Memory.
A flash—
A throne room lit by moonfire.
A tall, monstrous wolf king seated on a throne made of bones and stars.
Sal Vera kneeling in front of him in a dark, silky dress, head bowed low.
A voice—deep, powerful, familiar—echoing:
"Rise, my companion.
Tonight, the moon chooses its king."
The vision shattered.
Sai Ji gasped, falling to one knee.
Sal Vera rushed toward him instantly.
Her hands caught his arms, steadying him.
"You remembered something," she whispered.
He swallowed hard.
"I—I saw you. Kneeling. In another life."
She froze.
The warmth in her expression turned fragile.
"Then the Dungeon really is calling you back…"
The floor cracked at that moment.
A circular seam split open, releasing a soft silver mist.
Roots pulled back like muscle fibers exposing flesh.
The stone circle lifted—like a heartbeat lifting a ribcage.
From below, a staircase of living bone and moonlight spiraled downward into darkness.
His bodyguards fell to their knees.
"Master… it's open."
Sal Vera's voice softened.
"You don't have to go all the way," she said. "Just the entrance will be enough for the Domain to bond with you."
Sai Ji took a slow step forward.
"Will I… die if I go inside?"
"No," she said plainly.
"Only those who want to harm you die."
He swallowed hard.
"Comforting."
She gave him a faint smile.
"Come. I'll guide you."
The staircase pulsed beneath their feet.
The walls were covered in glowing claw marks—
massive ones.
Ones far bigger than his current form could ever make.
Sai Ji brushed one lightly.
It hummed.
Sal Vera spoke quietly:
"Those are from your final battle, a hundred years ago."
He nearly tripped.
"M-my WHAT—"
"You fought the Ancient Races alone. The world burned. And when you died, your Domain sealed itself and your power scattered."
Each step down made the air heavier, thicker, warmer.
Sai Ji felt like he was walking back into his own lungs.
"So… I really was some kind of… world-ending monster?"
Sal Vera turned her head slightly, her golden eyes meeting his.
"You weren't a monster."
She stepped closer, placing her hand over his heart.
"You were a king."
His chest tightened.
He didn't know if it was emotion…
or instinct.
At the bottom of the staircase lay a massive chamber.
And at its center—
A colossal wolf.
Sleeping.
Its fur was black as the void, tipped with silver.
Its body was larger than a house.
Its claws dug into the earth like roots.
And on its forehead—a broken moon sigil glowed faintly.
Sai Ji's entire body trembled.
"That's… me?"
Sal Vera stood beside him, voice reverent.
"That is the body you used in the last dynasty. The Sovereign Beast Form. Your true form. Your real vessel."
He stared.
"Then what is… this body I'm using now?"
Sal Vera's lips curved gently.
"A fragment. A newborn vessel. A version of you fit to enter the world again."
He felt dizzy.
"I have a giant… corpse… sleeping under my feet?"
"It's not dead," she corrected.
"It's resting. Waiting for its master to mature."
He nearly fainted.
The wolf's chest rose and fell slowly.
Its breath stirred the air like a breeze.
And when Sai Ji stepped closer—
Its massive eye cracked open.
A slit pupil, glowing silver, stared directly at him.
The hall shook.
His heart froze.
And then—
The System exploded with notifications.
SYSTEM — DOMAIN BONDING INITIATED
Sovereign Dungeon: 9% Awakened
Sovereign Beast Form: Recognizes Fragment Vessel
Bonus Granted:
• +1000 HP
• +350 Strength
• +300 Agility
• +500 Instinct
• New Skill: Moonblood Awakening (Dormant)
Sai Ji stumbled backward, gasping.
His whole body felt lighter—
stronger—
charged with power that didn't belong to a "level 1 player."
Sal Vera caught his hand.
Her expression was soft.
Proud.
"You took your first step, Sai Ji."
He stared at her.
"At becoming… the Wolf King again?"
She nodded.
"No."
She squeezed his hand.
"At becoming yourself again."
The giant wolf closed its eye and slept once more.
The Domain hummed.
And Sai Ji felt a truth settle heavy in his chest:
His ridiculous past wasn't gone.
It was waiting.
And now the world would chase him harder than ever.