Chapter 55: True Value

CH55 True Value

***

Alex didn’t know if it was because of his Auramir bloodline, but he could feel it—a subtle bond, like he could communicate with the wolf without words.

And strangely enough, Mama Wolf seemed to understand.

She backed down.

Then, with a steady hand, Alex fed the unconscious ’kingly’ cub the nectar-infused mana liquid.

Afterwards, he channelled his Astral energy into the cub’s core, guiding the potion through its system.

Almost immediately, a film of elemental aura wrapped around the young wolf’s body. It shimmered and shifted—first a blazing red, then a glacial blue—Fire and Ice, in constant flux.

The orchid nectar was working.

But before the process finished, both Alex and Mama Wolf stiffened.

Something—or someone—was coming.

And it wasn’t friendly.

Mama Wolf’s gaze sharpened.

Grrrrr...

She let out a low growl.

Though Alex couldn’t understand the words, he felt the intent behind them.

"I know," he replied quietly. "Don’t worry. I’ll keep your child safe."

Mama Wolf lowered her head.

A bow.

A show of profound gratitude and trust.

Then she looked up once more—her eyes hard, her body tense.

The nurturing mother vanished.

In her place stood a wrathful apex predator.

Without another glance, she turned and bolted out of the hollow, rushing through the lava cave’s entrance toward the approaching threat—not just to fight, but to draw them away from the cave.

To protect what mattered most.

Alex let out a breath.

Finally, the cub’s aura began to stabilise. The elemental essence had fully absorbed, but the cub remained unconscious—still in recovery from the trauma and the strain of digestion.

’He’ll live. But not yet. Not for a while...’

With the cub stabilised, Alex turned his attention to the slab beneath the orchid.

At first glance, Mama Wolf had assumed the orchid was the true treasure of their den.

She had no idea how wrong she was.

The real prize...

Was the stone itself.

[Frostheart Stone]

[Description: A rare, paradoxical crystal with a translucent blue core that emits frozen mist when exposed to fire-element mana. It forms when a powerful Ice-elemental creature dies within a fire-rich region such as a volcano. Over time, the body permineralises, transforming into a semi-crystalline material.

[Core Trait: Ice Elemental Dominance

[Effect: Greatly enhances a user’s ability to shape, refine, and store Ice or Water-elemental mana—especially in fire-dominated or mana-hostile environments. It also stabilises high-tier Ice spells, reducing both mana consumption and elemental backlash.

[Usage: External use—commonly refined into jewellery, embedded into staves, used in enchanted garments, or carved into meditation platforms. Internal use- High-tier alchemists may grind it into powder to create Ice-aligned potions that boost meditation efficiency.]

Alex’s eyes narrowed.

The Frostheart Stone, especially one of this size, was worth far more than the Blazefrost Orchid. While the orchid was an elite dual-element resource, its users were niche. The stone, on the other hand, had widespread demand among mages, alchemists, and elemental craftsmen.

’She had no idea she was sitting on a fortune...’

But now wasn’t the time to be greedy.

He had bigger problems.

One: He couldn’t move freely while carrying the cub.

Two: The cub’s condition made it risky to move anyway.

Three: The Ironspine Ravager wolves were still out there.

Escaping alone would be difficult enough.

Doing it while carrying a half-dead royal cub?

Next to impossible.

Just as Alex was beginning to panic, a simple idea struck him.

He smacked his forehead.

’Oh, right...’

He mentally commanded the OmniRune Core to open the gate to the pocket dimension, then stepped inside, carrying the unconscious cub.

Gently, he placed the pup next to the Bonsai Tree, where the ambient mana would help it stabilise. Then, he also deposited the Frostheart Stone into the space before stepping back into the real world.

"That’s one problem solved," Alex muttered.

He emerged from the lava cave, eyes flickering with astral light as he activated Spirit Sight.

Mama Wolf had succeeded.

She had lured the Ironspine Ravager wolves back toward the front lines, rejoining with Papa Wolf. But even with that, the situation looked grim.

The Blazefrost Pack was outnumbered ten to one.

Even with Alex’s interference, there was little hope of turning the tide.

And truthfully, he had no intention of throwing himself any deeper into a war between two Overlord-class beasts. Saving the royal cub had already stretched the limits of his willingness to interfere.

But that brought him to the second, and far more immediate, problem.

He had Ironspine blood on him.

When harvesting materials for the orchid extract, he had gotten the blood of one of the Ravager wolves on him.

And these vindictive, literal bitches—and sons of bitches—had a keen sensitivity to the blood of their kind.

Given how they had already locked down the area around the mountain, it was inevitable they would pick up the scent.

Sooner or later, they’d come hunting.

Alex’s expression twisted.

"Oh no..."

His Spirit Sight flashed—just in time to witness a peak Class 2 Ironspine wolf deliver a fatal blow to Papa Wolf.

Rage exploded.

Both Mama and Papa Wolf went berserk, launching a final suicidal attack to drag down the highest-ranking enemies with them.

"I need to get out—before the fighting ends and they come for me next!"

Alex bolted into motion.

With the direct path out of the mountain blocked, he chose the side route—the cave tunnels near the den.

He was almost there when—

BOOM!

The earth trembled beneath him.

Papa and Mama Wolf had triggered a desperation move. A suicide technique or a self-detonation—Alex couldn’t tell. But the result was clear.

The peak Class 2 Ironspine Ravager wolves were obliterated.

The Ironspine Ravagers wolves had won. But at a terrible cost.

Alex didn’t waste time. He dashed into the tunnels leading back to the valley.

A long howl split the air.

Even deep within the tunnels, the sound chilled him.

Worse, he felt it—dozens of mana signatures turning in his direction.

"Sh*t! Those bitches and sons of bitches are on to me!"

He didn’t hold back anymore.

"Fleetfoot! Featherflight! Body Strengthening Magic!"

There was no use concealing his mana now. He surged forward, empowered by OmniRune-assisted enhancements, racing through the tunnel at breakneck speed.

But even as he moved, he frowned.

’Even if I make it past the valley, those bastards will keep tracking me...’

His crimson eyes darkened.

A ruthless glint sparked within.

Calm Madness!

Instead of speeding up—he slowed down.

Deliberately.

He allowed the wolves to close the distance.

A savage grin tugged at his lips.

’Good. Now let’s see who’s hunter... and who’s prey.’

"Come on then—bitches! Sons of bitches!"

---

And so, in the next moment, the beasts in the valley were treated to a strange, almost comical sight:

A two-legged creature, radiating volatile mana oscillating between levels of Class 1, being chased by a frenzied pack of Ironspine Ravager wolves...

Straight into the centre of the massive beast battle royale.

***