Free Web NovelChapter 11: New Alpha
The wolves didn’t attack.
They didn’t even move toward him, no growling, no aggression of any kind. One by one, every wolf in the clearing lowered itself to the ground, heads bowed, eyes fixed on the dirt rather than on Ren.
Ren stood over the alpha’s body, blood still cooling beneath his claws, and stared at the sea of bowed heads with genuine confusion.
"Uh," he said. "What’s happening right now?"
[The Grey Wolf Pack has sworn their allegiance to you.]
[Whoever defeats the Alpha in single combat inherits the position of Alpha by pack law.]
[Do you accept to become their Alpha?]
Ren blinked at the notification, then looked back out at the bowed wolves, then back at the screen.
"Okay, hold on, what does that actually mean? Like, I get the word alpha, I know what an alpha is, but what’s the actual fine print here?"
[As Alpha, every Grey Wolf is under your command. You may direct them, protect them, and guide them as their leader. Their loyalty becomes absolute.]
Ren read it twice, turning the idea over carefully despite already knowing, somewhere in the back of his mind, exactly what he was going to say.
He wasn’t really one to overthink things like this. A pack of loyal wolves at his back sounded like an upgrade in basically every way that mattered, especially after a first day that had consisted mostly of running, falling, and being chased by things that wanted to eat him.
"Yeah, alright," he said. "I accept."
The moment the words left him, something shifted across the entire clearing at once.
Every wolf’s body went rigid simultaneously, a low collective groan rippling through the pack, fur bristling, muscles twitching beneath their hides in ways that looked deeply uncomfortable.
[Notification: Each member of the Grey Wolf Pack has triggered an Evolution Trigger Event]
[Evolution will occur at a randomized future time for each individual]
[Cause: Exposure to a bloodline and presence vastly superior to their own. Proximity to a Dragon of your caliber has accelerated their evolutionary potential.]
Ren stared at the wolves twitching and shuddering across the clearing, genuinely stunned.
"Wait, just having me as their alpha did that? I didn’t even do anything else."
[Your bloodline alone exerts influence on lesser races in proximity.]
"Huh." He looked at the assembled pack with something like pride creeping in alongside the confusion. "Okay, that’s actually kind of cool. I’m excited to see what you guys turn into."
With the wolves now firmly his, ending the war turned out to require almost no effort at all.
"Alright," Ren said, turning to address the pack properly. "We’re done fighting the lizardmen. War’s over."
Every wolf’s head dipped lower in immediate acknowledgment, the message accepted without question or hesitation.
[Quest Complete: Stop the War]
[Reward: Dragon’s Rage, Flame Dragon Form, 1,000 EXP]
[10x Multiplier Applied: 10,000 EXP]
[Level Up! You are now Level 15]
[+2 to all stats]
[Level Up! You are now Level 16]
[+2 to all stats]
[Level Up! You are now Level 17]
[+2 to all stats]
[New Skills Unlocked: Dragon’s Rage, Flame Dragon Form]
[+10 to all stats]
The notifications cascaded fast, level after level climbing in quick succession, and Ren let out a low whistle as the numbers settled.
[Status]
[Level: 17]
[EXP: 1,600 / 3,400]
[Strength: 81]
[Speed: 83]
[Stamina: 83]
[Skills: Glide, Dragon Vision, Claw Strike, Ember Breath, Devour, Inherit, Scale Hardening, Dragon’s Rage, Flame Dragon Form]
"Okay, that quest paid out way better than I expected. Worth every bit of that scary penalty clause."
With the wolves handled, he turned his attention to the other side of the clearing, expecting to find the lizardmen either fled or readying for round two now that their enemies had simply stopped fighting.
What he found instead was an entire formation on its knees.
Every lizardman in the clearing had dropped down, heads bowed low, weapons set respectfully on the ground in front of them.
"Okay," Ren said slowly. "This is becoming a pattern today."
One of the lizardmen rose and approached, moving with careful, deliberate steps, stopping a respectful distance away before speaking. The words came out clipped and hissing, more reptilian than human, but Ren found he understood every syllable without effort, some quiet instinct in his draconic blood bridging the gap effortlessly.
"You possess true strength," the lizardman said. "Strength we have only seen in our own leader. We believe you are stronger even than him."
"Okay," Ren said carefully. "And? What does that mean for me, exactly?"
"We wish for you to challenge our leader," the lizardman continued. "The way you challenged the Alpha of the wolves. Claim his position, as you claimed theirs."
Ren tilted his head, genuinely puzzled now. "Why would you want that? I mean, no offense, but couldn’t you all just go home and enjoy the fact that the war’s over? Seems like a pretty good outcome without me needing to go pick a fight with your boss too."
The lizardman’s throat clicked in something that might have been the reptilian equivalent of a thoughtful pause.
"We follow strength," he said simply. "It is how we have always lived. A leader who is not the strongest invites challenge, invites weakness into the bloodline, invites failure when it matters most." His eyes, slitted and golden, didn’t waver from Ren’s. "We have seen true strength today. We will not pretend we have not."
"So you want me to just, what, walk up and fight your current leader? For the job?"
"Yes," the lizardman said, without a trace of doubt in his voice. "We would rather follow the strongest among us. You are now part of that question."
[Optional Quest]
[Defeat the Lizard chief ]
