Chapter Forty: The Wolf King

There were thirteen corpses sprawled across the ground: two hobgoblins and eleven goblins, all draped in animal hides. Sun Licheng examined them and found the pelts to be very ordinary—untreated, stiff, and exuding a pungent, rancid odor.

Their weapons lacked any metal, but there were two bows and four slings among them. He tugged at one of the bows; they were both light bows, strung with some kind of animal sinew. The craftsmanship was mediocre, and the draw weight unremarkable. The arrows were tipped with animal teeth—sharp enough to deal with unarmored foes.

Beyond that, Sun Licheng also found flint for starting fires, five water skins fashioned from bladders, and some dried meat on the bodies, but not a single magic crystal.

He tasted a piece of the jerky—it was just common animal meat, not particularly appetizing. Concerned it might be unsafe, he chewed a couple of times and spat it out. After all, even in ancient times on Earth, cannibalism was not unheard of; some ancients even turned human skin into celebrated works of art. Who could say for sure that this jerky didn’t contain hobgoblin meat? He couldn’t afford to take the risk.

In the waning sunlight, Sun Licheng tried to discern the difference between goblins and hobgoblins. But after close inspection, aside from barely perceptible variations in skin and teeth, they seemed like the same species. If only Vol were still here; he would have asked him directly. Were black, white, and yellow people on Earth not all humans too?

He had Gou Rou lead him around the forest to examine several more goblin corpses, but he found nothing new.

The next morning, Sun Licheng loaded some of the goblin and hobgoblin weapons and gear onto Gou Rou’s little cart and turned for home.

This expedition had been fruitful. He’d encountered the intelligent beings of this world and needed to prepare further.

…

After three days of travel, Sun Licheng found the great river once more. Back in familiar territory, his mood lightened.

Suddenly, he tensed, swiftly unstrapping a javelin from his back.

Not far away, a towering gray wolf appeared on the hillside. Nearly two meters tall, its gaze was cold and menacing. The sight brought to mind the wolf king he’d encountered before, and Sun Licheng’s grip tightened on the javelin.

Fortunately, the gray wolf only watched for a while before turning away. No other wolves appeared, and he let out a breath of relief.

His strength had increased greatly, and Gou Rou was by his side, but a pack of such formidable wolves still made him uneasy. That wolf was nearly as large as an armored vehicle.

Bathed in moonlight, the hillside below revealed the massive gray wolf lying on the ground, licking its hind leg, where a gruesome wound gaped, exposing bone and tinged with a ghastly bluish gray. It was a frightening sight.

This was none other than Sun Licheng’s old acquaintance—the wolf king of that pack.

After the battle with the wolf-rabbits, not only had the pack suffered heavy losses, but the wolf king had been savaged all over. Worse still, several strong wolves in the pack had long coveted its position. Because of its fatal miscalculation and grave injuries, the mightiest male had challenged it. Survival among beasts is for the strong; not even its mate pleaded for it in this duel. After a fierce struggle, the wolf king lost, and under the cold eyes of the pack, hobbled away on three legs from its clan.

With the wolf king gone, the pack migrated to warmer lands under new leadership, fading quietly into history like countless packs before.

Since then, the wolf king had failed to catch any decent prey. Worse, two days earlier it had encountered a giant lizard, and in the ensuing battle, suffered a nasty bite to its hind leg. Though it escaped, the wound refused to heal, the venom still eating away at its flesh. Once strong as a young bull, the wolf king was now but a shadow of its former self.

Not far away, at the foot of another hill, a campfire burned. Sun Licheng was roasting a fawn, with Gou Rou resting nearby.

Though Gou Rou was a mechanical puppet—an automaton dog—to save energy and reduce wear, it would enter standby mode when not needed, as it did now.

The fawn was Sun Licheng’s afternoon hunt. Though startled by the great wolf’s appearance earlier, fortune soon smiled as a herd of elk crossed his path. After days of gnawing on dried meat, he wasn’t about to miss the chance for a proper meal.

The fawn was plump; soon, fat sizzled over the fire. Sun Licheng sprinkled his special seasoning, and a rich aroma suffused the air, whetting the appetite.

The ravenous wolf king suddenly paused, catching a tantalizing scent. Unable to resist, it stood up to investigate.

Despite its caution, the pain in its leg made it move with a faint, continuous rustling.

Sun Licheng quickly sensed the danger and woke Gou Rou from standby. Gou Rou prepared to charge, but Sun Licheng stopped him. The enemy was hidden, and a headlong dash would be suicide.

He picked up his loaded crossbow and, with Gou Rou, crept to the other side, taking aim.

Before long, a huge figure emerged.

The darkness was a world of red through Sun Licheng’s eyes, and he soon spotted the big gray wolf. The crossbow’s sight ring framed the wolf perfectly—one squeeze of the trigger would send a bolt through its skull, and the beast would never know what hit it.

His finger stroked the trigger, but in the end, he let go. He’d recognized the wolf king.

It was in poor shape—still large, but gaunt, with a limp in its hind leg. The old majesty was gone. If not for its still-keen eyes, Sun Licheng would scarcely have recognized it.

Facing such a foe, Sun Licheng felt no fear. He called Gou Rou to stand, slung his crossbow onto his back, drew his blade, and walked toward the wolf king.

Here, as with many magical beasts, the more powerful animals possessed a certain intelligence. The wolf king had already sensed danger, and from the scent, knew who was roasting meat nearby. But, driven to desperation, it had no other choice—the roast over the fire was everything to it. More than that, repeated failures had sapped its spirit. The wolf king even felt that if it submitted to this green-clad man, he might accept it.

After losing the contest for leadership, the wolf king had refused to submit to its own kind, yet now, to yield to Sun Licheng—this realization surprised even itself.

Ever since Sun Licheng had recruited the wolf-rabbits, he’d possessed the power of a hero. One of the hero’s key abilities was to win over neutral creatures with whom he had no prior bond—not just beasts and intelligent races, but even skeletons and infernal denizens. Coupled with his "Friend of Beasts" skill, his recruitment effect was doubled for beasts and magical creatures, which explained the wolf king’s reaction.

Standing before the gray wolf, blade in hand, Sun Licheng couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy—this wolf king’s fate was truly wretched. Suddenly, the wolf king’s eyes flickered; its ears and tail drooped, and it plopped down, shuffling its rump toward him along the ground.

Having raised wolfhounds for years, Sun Licheng instantly understood the gesture. He reached out with his mind to communicate.

Though once a king, the wolf was still just an ordinary gray wolf—its intellect far below that of magical beasts. The thoughts he received were a jumble, but a few clear ideas emerged: "hungry," "want to eat," "food," "fight," "mount wolf."

"So it’s come to offer allegiance."

A broad smile broke across Sun Licheng’s face.

After decades of gaming, he cherished loyal canine companions above all. Though he already had Gou Rou, a cold mechanical dog could never compare to a living gray wolf. Besides, to minimize wear, Gou Rou often had to hibernate—hardly a recipe for companionship. The wolf king’s submission thrilled him; Sun Licheng was profoundly lonely.

Without hesitation, he declared to the wolf king, "I accept your allegiance. From now on, you will fight for me, and I will provide food in return. I will treat you as family, through life and death, never abandoning you." With that, he waited for the wolf king’s response.

Before long, the thoughts came: "master," "serve," "fight," "food." The wolf king clearly agreed.

"Good! Then let’s explore this world together," Sun Licheng said happily, reaching out to stroke the great wolf’s head.

To his surprise, the giant wolf flipped over, exposing its belly and wriggling on the ground, just like a dog seeking favor.

Laughing heartily, Sun Licheng gently rubbed the wolf king’s white belly, making it squirm with delight.

After a bit of horseplay, Sun Licheng led the wolf king to the campfire.

Ignoring Gou Rou, who had returned to standby, Sun Licheng cut a haunch from the roast fawn and tossed it to the wolf king, saying, "You were once the wolf king—so from today on, you shall be called Wolf King."