Lang and Karen weren’t the first batch of werewolves to sneak down after Little Blue—they were the third.
The earlier two batches had already been caught and locked up, sharing confinent with Little Blue.
Two burly elder wolves stepped forward, pressing down on Lang and Karen’s shoulders.
Karen didn’t resist, but neither did she show fear. She fixed the chieftain with her wolfish gaze and raised her voice so all could hear:
“Wolfgang was right! The outside world is ten thousand tis better than this suffocating little hole!
You old fossils can rot here if you like—I don’t care! But you think you can chain down?
You think you can chain down every young wolf?
What’s your plan? Kill every wolf that leaves? Lock us up for life?
I’ll tell you this—if you let out, I’ll go again. And next ti, I won’t co back!
Not just . Every wolf that leaves from now on won’t ever co back!
What will you do then, you old bones—co hunting us yourselves?”
BANG!
A heavy fist slamd into Karen’s face, knocking out a bloody fang that clattered across the floor.
It was another elder wolf, seething with rage. Karen spat a mouthful of blood, then looked at him with nothing but disdain.
That infuriated him further, but before he could strike again, his claws were caught in the iron grip of another—older still, yet just as strong.
“Chieftain?” the angry wolf looked baffled at being stopped, but obediently stepped back.
“Karen, we are ant to stay here, to await the Demon King’s return. It is the oath of our line. To leave this place is to betray him.”
Their eyes locked. In the chieftain’s gaze Karen saw no anger, only pain, helplessness, even a trace of pleading.
That flicker gave her a mont’s hesitation, but her desire for freedom crushed it instantly.
“That’s not every werewolf’s oath! It’s yours—the oath of you old ones! And the Demon King?”
Her voice rose, sharp with finality:
“We weren’t even born when he vanished! When humans killed our parents, where was he? Even now—where is he? So wolves may still grumble about him, but not ! Because I never thought he had anything to do with ! Much less this so-called loyalty!”
The chieftain’s eyes dimd, as though he had expected this. He simply stepped back in silence.
“How dare you blasphe the Demon King! You should be torn apart!” so of the elders roared, ready to lunge.
But the chieftain raised his hand to stop them, even signaling for Lang and Karen to be released.
Soon, Little Blue and the other six young wolves were also brought out, freed to stand beside Karen.
“You may go,” the chieftain said heavily. “Do not co back.”
“Chieftain! We can’t let them go! The other young ones will…”
“Anyone else who wishes to leave,” the chieftain swept his gaze across the crowd, “go with them. Those who wish to leave—I will not stop you anymore. I cannot.”
His eyes settled on Karen last:
“You are right. Waiting for the Demon King’s return is my vow. I will keep it, with those still willing, until death. But you—leave. Never return. If we et again, I will tear out your throat.”
The young wolves looked at one another, whispering.
In the end, besides the nine who had already descended, three more stepped forward, teeth gritted.
There were far more young wolves, many who longed for the outside, but only twelve dared to make the irreversible choice.
Those twelve, under countless stares, were forever banished from the tenth floor where they had lived their whole lives.
…
Barely half a day later, Karen appeared again in the Fla Demon’s cavern.
By then, Norris and Qiong had already departed.
The three young wolves entering for the first ti gazed around wide-eyed, marveling at everything.
anwhile, Little Blue gaped, turning back to stare at the empty stairway, then at Karen’s calm expression. Finally he pointed at himself in disbelief:
“Wait—what? How did I end up exiled?!”
He’d been planning to sneak down again after his punishnt. Now the chance had fallen into his lap—no more sneaking needed!
Karen crossed her arms, not bothering to explain.
At that mont, a Puji flitted over, wings buzzing, and landed on Little Blue’s furry head.
He sniffed—it was that familiar yet subtly different scent again.
Monts later, he told the others:
“Big Mushroom says it saw us in trouble, and wants to know if we’d like to visit its mushroom garden!”
“Huh? How are you even talking to it?” one wolf asked curiously.
“Like this!” Little Blue pulled aside the fur on his chest, revealing pale-gray mycelium already fused with his flesh beneath.
To the wolves who had never known anything but the tenth floor, the concept of “parasite” didn’t even exist. They crowded around in awe, asking eagerly how to gain the sa ability—and saying they wanted it too.
Lin Jun didn’t rush. Through Little Blue, he first brought the wolves to settle in the mushroom garden, leaving further matters for later.
…
Twelve werewolves.
Far fewer than Lin Jun had hoped.
He had thought at least half the hundred-plus might co.
That was thanks to the old chieftain—and to Karen.
His original plan had been to let the yearning for freedom spread gradually, with wolves seeing the outside bit by bit, until most of the youth longed to leave.
Then, when the ti was ripe, they could carry off as many tribesmates as possible.
But Karen’s fiery temper and forceful action had triggered everything too soon.
And the chieftain had responded with ruthless decisiveness, branding all dissenters as exiles at once, cutting off the “dangerous thought” before it could spread further.
The harsh asure had indeed cowed the others, suppressing their restless urges—for now.
In the long run, it would change nothing.
But in the short term, it had delayed Lin Jun’s plan to claim the entire tribe.
And far from angry, Lin Jun found it amusing.
To see his steady advance t with desperate, ugly resistance—
That too was one of his pleasures.
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