Then, he turned his gaze to the rest of the wolves and spoke.
"Now, what do you all want to do? Surrender? Or do you want to perish like your leader?"
The surviving wolves, having witnessed what had just happened, instantly lowered their heads even further. They were already pressed against the ground due to his aura, and now, they were practically groveling in full surrender.
Renan, seeing this, let out a small smile and nodded in satisfaction.
"Good boys," he said, pleased with their submission.
His white scales started to disappear slowly, first from his face and then from the rest of his body. At the same time, his surroundings began to return to normal. The wolves that had been pressed down by his overwhelming force slowly stood up, now free from the pressure. However, they remained with their heads lowered in complete submission.
Renan, seeing this, spoke in a commanding tone. "You four who are in the fifth grade, step ahead," he ordered, calling for the wolves that could communicate to come forward.
The four wolves obediently stepped ahead, standing before Renan with their heads still lowered in respect. "Now, I will ask you all some questions, but first, I need one of you to go and bring the other wolves and the pups here," he said, catching the wolves off guard with his request.
Their bodies tensed as they processed his words. Renan, noticing their sudden reaction, quickly realized they might have misunderstood his intentions. So, he clarified, "What are you all thinking? I just told you to bring them here. It’s dangerous for them to stay by themselves with the newborns. And do you really think that if I wanted to do something to them, you could stop me?" he asked, his gaze sharp.
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The four wolves, who had already witnessed his overwhelming strength, understood the truth behind his words. If he had any intention of harming them or their young, they knew there was nothing they could do to prevent it. Accepting his words, one of the four wolves hesitated for only a moment before turning around and dashing off in the direction of the mother wolves and pups.
As that wolf disappeared into the distance, one of the remaining three, who appeared to be the eldest among them, finally spoke. "Sir Dragon," he addressed Renan with deep respect.
"I know we were in the wrong for attacking you, but I sincerely ask for your forgiveness. We did it only because our children and their mothers would have died if we failed to find food for them. Please, forgive us," he said, completely disregarding the fact that he was asking forgiveness from the very being who had just killed their alpha.
’So, I was correct,’ Renan thought, feeling satisfied that his earlier guess had been accurate. "Oh, yeah. No need to worry. Since you have all surrendered, I won’t kill you. There’s nothing to gain from it, and it would just be senseless slaughter. So, relax. I just want to ask you a few questions, and after that, I’ll be on my way," Renan said, waving his hand dismissively.
Hearing his words, the three wolves that could communicate visibly relaxed. The elder wolf, still acting as the spokesperson, spoke again. "Thank you for your mercy, Sir Dragon. You may ask as many questions as you wish."
Renan nodded, then asked, "So, is there any other wolf in your pack who is on the same level as your alpha or even stronger than him?"
The wolf immediately shook his head. "No, there is no other wolf in our pack on the pack leader’s level or stronger than him."
"I see," Renan murmured. "Then, is there any other monster in this area as strong as your former alpha?"
Again, the wolf replied, "No, there are no monsters in these surroundings that are at the sixth grade."
Renan nodded as he continued questioning them, asking about their origins and other minor details. While he was engaged in conversation, the wolf that had left earlier finally returned, bringing the mother wolves and their pups with him.
"I have brought them," the returning wolf announced, drawing both Renan’s and the other wolves’ attention toward him.
Renan turned his gaze toward the newcomers, and the moment he laid eyes on them, he couldn’t help but shake his head. ’They really do look like they’re on their last legs,’ he thought, observing the mother wolves. They appeared incredibly weak, while the pups, though not in immediate danger, still seemed quite frail.
’I guess I should help them a bit. After all, it would be a pity if these small, cute creatures died,’ Renan thought to himself. Then, the ring on his finger shone faintly, and in the next instant, a large piece of meat materialized in front of him. Though the portion wasn’t large enough to completely fill all of their stomachs, it was enough to give them some strength.
The wolves were visibly shocked to see the meat appear out of thin air. However, before their curiosity could take over, Renan spoke. "Here, eat this," he said simply.
The elder wolf, speaking once again, lowered his head deeply. "Thank you, Sir Dragon, for your generosity," he said with clear gratitude in his voice.
The other wolves, following his lead, also lowered their heads in respect, expressing their thanks.
Renan waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I’ll be going now. Goodbye," he said as he turned around to leave. However, just as he was about to go, something crossed his mind.
"The monster core," he muttered, stopping in his tracks and turning his head toward the spot where he had slain the alpha wolf.
Looking in that direction, he furrowed his brows upon realizing that the core was nowhere to be seen. "Huh? Did the core of the wolf disintegrate along with its body?" he mused out loud, feeling a pang of regret. ’I should have held back a little,’ he thought, somewhat frustrated.
With nothing else left to do, Renan disappeared from the wolves’ sight, leaving them behind.
From there, he continued his journey, running through the forest instead of flying, as he didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention. After about ten minutes of running, he finally emerged from the dense woodland and found himself standing before a road that split in three different directions.
"Hmm, I think I still need to go straight. The Dwarf Progenitor Dungeon is still a bit farther from the Monster Nation," Renan thought as he started running again, heading straight toward his destination.
It took him about two to three days of non-stop travel to finally reach the Dwarf Progenitor Dungeon. However, instead of rushing inside immediately, he stopped at a distance, carefully observing the structure before him. His sharp eyes caught sight of two dwarves stationed as guards at the entrance, standing before a large door that seemingly led underground.
"Hmm, those two are at the seventh stage in the warrior path," Renan noted after assessing them. ’I should gather some information about the dungeon first before going in,’ he decided.
With that plan in mind, he changed his course and made his way toward the Monster Nation instead. Upon arrival, he was met with a massive gate surrounded by towering walls, similar in design to the Dragon Empire. A long line had formed at the entrance, which he assumed was for entry into the city. However, as he observed the crowd more closely, something struck him as odd.
’Huh? Isn’t this supposed to be the Monster Nation? So why are there humans and dwarves in line? I don’t see any monsters among them,’ Renan thought in confusion.
Curious but unfazed, he joined the line and waited patiently for his turn. It didn’t take long before he reached the front, where he finally got a closer look at the guard manning the entrance.
To his surprise, the one standing at the door wasn’t a monster, but a dwarf.
"Huh?" he muttered, momentarily thrown off by the sight. He tried to make sense of the situation, but before he could think further, the dwarf at the gate addressed him.
"Hurry up, human. We don’t have all day," the dwarf grumbled, mistaking Renan for a human due to his current form.
Renan gave a small nod and stepped forward. The dwarf glanced at him and then down at a piece of paper. "Name?" he asked.
"Renan," he replied.
"One silver coin," the dwarf demanded.
Reaching inside his clothes, Renan discreetly used his ring to retrieve a silver coin—one of the many Belinda had given him before his journey. Handing it over, he watched as the dwarf retrieved a stamp with a beard emblem on it. The dwarf then pressed the stamp against the back of Renan’s hand.
"You can go in now," the dwarf said gruffly.
As soon as Renan stepped through the gates, he was left completely speechless by what he saw.
’Huh? Wasn’t this supposed to be the Monster Nation? Then why are there dwarves everywhere?’ Renan thought, utterly baffled by the sight before him.