"Am I dreaming right now?"

The man's expression changed grotesquely as he saw the wolves scattered outside.

When he pinched his cheek with his hand, the pain felt vivid. It meant what he was seeing was reality.

"Why are there... so many of them...?"

The number of wolves visible to the eye exceeded 30.

It didn't make sense. It was hard to believe that wolf spirit beasts, which were rare even on the continent, had appeared in Isla Machina, and their numbers exceeded 30?

While they were confused by the inexplicable situation, the pack of wolf leaders moved in unison and began to storm into the building.

One entered through the broken glass on the second floor, followed by another appearing from the opposite side.

A wolf that entered through the open door on the first floor mauled the personnel waiting on the first floor.

Blood and screams were everywhere.

Artifacts, cutting-edge weapons, and modified automatons resisted, but it was futile.

The wolves charging from all directions were like a raging blizzard.

Even one was difficult to deal with, but with many rushing in from all sides, they had no choice but to be helplessly overwhelmed.

"Damn it! What the hell is this!"

Nikolai's subordinates, completely surrounded by wolves, screamed loudly.

-Tututata!

Lost gun barrels spewed fire, magic grenades exploded, and protective artifacts unleashed their output.

They somehow held on with desperate resistance, but the wolf pack was persistent.

As their prey struggled desperately, instead of rushing in recklessly, the wolves kept their distance, transformed into wind, and rapidly circled around.

Anyone could see they were planning to wear down and kill their prey.

"Da-damn it."

No matter how alert they were, it was inevitable that a moment of vulnerability would occur.

In that instant, a wolf that had been running along the ceiling as wind returned to its massive form and crushed them from above.

"Aaargh! Get it off!"

"My arm! Someone help me!"

Once their formation collapsed, what followed was a predetermined sequence.

Hearing the screams coming from inside the building, Freden, watching the scene from a distance, couldn't help but genuinely admire it.

'This is the wolf spirit beast that has protected our family.'

Not only its endurance to run for days without rest, but also its ability to run on the wind and cross the sea.

What was truly frightening was its prowess in battle.

'The ability to control the wind itself and, for a moment, transform into the wind itself.'

This was why the wolves could come and go through narrow holes like cats.

Their bodies could transform into wind, allowing them to pass through any space where air could flow, even if it was only the size of a needle hole.

No matter how they blocked the paths and set up barriers, they couldn't completely cut off the air.

To block the wolves’ movements, a wind attribute magician would have to create a vacuum wall, or a flame attribute would have to completely incinerate the surrounding atmosphere.

It was an outstanding characteristic in that it forced the opponent to make extreme choices.

'Even more impressive than that is the sheer quantity.'

Another characteristic of the wolf spirit beast was [Division].

Surprisingly, the 30 or so wolves around were all one.

'It's one wolf, that's right. But at the same time, it's a pack.'

Freden recalled a document he had read before about how wolf spirit beasts were born.

Wolf spirit beasts were said to be born when long-lived beasts underwent a special evolution.

So, does that mean they simply become one by living a long time?

Of course not.

It varies for each beast and depends on the given environment or the process of survival in the wild.

Some were born destined to become wolf spirit beasts, while others were born after struggling endlessly in the pyramid of survival.

Or they could become wolf spirit beasts by being born and raised in an environment rich in mana.

The wolf spirit beast, the guardian of the Ulburg family, had become a spirit beast through struggle, though it also received help from the environment.

'And what became a wolf spirit beast wasn't a single wolf, but a massive pack.'

Wolves live in packs.

This wolf spirit beast was not the pack leader but the entire pack transformed into a wolf spirit beast and integrated into one.

That is, the wolf spirit beast was both a single entity and a pack.

A situation similar yet different from the Beast of Gevaudan.

The Beast of Gevaudan, known to the world, was a single entity and a legion, but that was because the Beast of Gevaudan 'created' cryptids on its own.

Strictly speaking, the Beast of Gevaudan could be considered a single entity.

Freuden realized how absurd wolf spirit beast was, and at the same time, how many mysterious facts humanity had yet to uncover.

'The reason why the wolf is the symbolic animal of our family is thanks to this wolf spirit beast.'

The situation ended quickly.

The ruffians who were after Rene's life didn't even leave corpses behind.

Except for the dense smell of gunpowder and various magical tools, which could be considered their traces, they were devoured bones and all by the wolf leaders.

Freuden urgently ran up to the third floor of the building where Rene was staying, jumping over the remains of destroyed automatons.

"Rene!"

The moment he flung open the door, a dagger of black energy approached under his chin.

"Who are you?"

Freuden gulped at the sight of Cravat looking coldly at him.

'This is no ordinary person.'

Although Cravat appeared younger than himself, there was an aura that was hard to describe.

At that moment, a gust of wind blew, and a wolf leader appeared right next to Cravat, baring its teeth.

-Growl.

"...Wolf spirit beast? Was it you who cleaned up the guys outside?"

"And who might you be?"

"Hmph. Are you acquainted with that child called Rene lying over there?"

Freuden’s eyes turned to Rene, who was sound asleep on the bed and his pupils contracted slightly.

"What happened to Rene? Is she alright? Is she injured anywhere?"

Seeing Freuden’s quickened speech, Cravat's eyes widened.

"I didn't think so, but you, do you like her?"

"Stop talking nonsense and tell me what happened."

"Ha. Look at this impudent guy. Don't worry. Thanks to someone who helped in the moment of crisis, her condition has been stabilized a lot."

"Condition? Did you... fix her constitution?"

"Constitution? What? You knew about it too?"

"I don't know the details. Just that Rene is terminally ill..."

"Then the conversation will be easier."

Cravat withdrew the dagger he had been pointing at Freuden.

As the pitch-black energy that made his skin crawl was withdrawn, Freuden could finally relax.

The wolf spirit beast, who had been watching, also stopped being vigilant and sat down quietly beside Freuden, resting its chin.

"Well, well. A wolf spirit beast in such a polluted and dirty city. I've truly lived long enough to see everything."

"How is Rene’s condition?"

"It's successful for now. But only halfway."

"Halfway... you mean it's not over yet?"

"First, let me explain how this happened. Inside the child called Rene, divine power is sleeping. To be precise, it was."

"But Rene is a magician..."

"That's what's strange. Divine power in a magician? But it's actually happening, so I can't say it's impossible. The divine power wasn't ordinary either. It was so powerful that it was almost indistinguishable from magical power. That's why no matter how hard others tried to examine it, they couldn't notice it."

Even Cravat could barely distinguish the divine power, having seen the two forces colliding inside Rene’s body.

"The bigger problem is Rene's inherent magical power. It's a dense magical power that doesn't give an inch despite colliding with such powerful divine power. Because of that, her body was rapidly breaking down, unable to withstand the collision of magical and divine power."

"How did you fix that?"

"What I did was simple. I annihilated the divine power raging inside this child's body with the power of a curse. The opposite of divine power is the curse of black magic, specifically an ancient curse."

‘Ancient curse.’

Freuden felt goosebumps on his arms as he realized the nature of the black energy that had made him feel eerie.

Who would have thought that such a young-looking person was a black magician wielding ancient curses?

"It was a very difficult process. I had to squeeze out most of my power and rely on all sorts of magic potions, reagents, and materials."

"So, is she alright now?"

"I wish that were the case. I've definitely removed the divine power. The problem is the child's inherent magical power."

"Is there something wrong with Rene's magical power?"

"It's too strong."

The answer was too simple, but Cravat couldn't think of any other alternative words.

"It's magical power that has been meddling with divine power for a long time, which I barely managed to annihilate using all sorts of tricks. Its density, pure output, and power are beyond imagination."

"Rene had such magical power..."

Though he said that, Freuden had a vague suspicion.

From Rene's magical prowess, hints had been continuously given that her potential and possibilities were extraordinary.

"But it's her own magical power after all. Why is that a problem?"

"Even with magical power, one needs to know how to handle it. No matter how strong the power is, if it can't be released, it just keeps accumulating inside. It might be different if the vessel strengthens accordingly, but this child doesn't seem to have had much opportunity for that."

Just when they thought it was over, they had only overcome one dangerous hurdle.

Realizing this, Freuden clenched his fist tightly.

"Don't worry too much, young man. There's still a way."

"You mean there's another alternative?"

"Having succeeded in restraining the divine power, we now need to calm the non-attribute magical power. The teacher is running around for that now."

"Teacher?"

Freuden’s eyes widened.

"You mean Rudger Chelici, that person is here too?"

"Yes."

"What is he doing now?"

"He went out to get new materials needed for the reagent."

Cravat was muttering that when he narrowed his eyes at a large vibration and an odd power wave felt from far away.

"It seems things aren't going smoothly."

"That just now..."

Freuden seemed to have felt it too, staring intently out the window.

The wolf spirit beast also raised all the fur on its body and stared out the window, showing its teeth.

"...What was that?"

"I don't know."

"What?"

"The only thing I can tell is that an enormous entity has started rampaging out there. And it's not just any strong creature. What is this alien power...?"

Cravat clicked his tongue upon discovering that his hand was trembling.

Usually, curiosity was triggered first by most things, but just feeling a part of that power made his body tremble.

It meant that the instinctive fear and dread were greater than curiosity.

"Fear, huh. How long has it been since I felt this? This won't do. I need to go too."

"Wait. I'm coming too."

"Young man. You'll just get in the way. And who will protect that child? Want to clean up corpses?"

"You don't have to worry about that."

Freuden spoke to the wolf spirit beast.

"Please."

-Growl.

The wolf spirit beast nodded as if understanding, then blew wind from its mouth.

The bluish-green wind transformed into a wolf and stood as if guarding Rene.

"It will protect Rene until we return."

"...Hmph, alright. There's no use stopping you when you're this determined. Just don't regret it later. What we're about to face will be a battle unprecedented in history."

"I didn't come with half-hearted resolve."

Cravat stood by the window and activated a curse.

His body twisted slightly and transformed into a black crow that flapped its wings.

It was the crow transformation curse.

"So that's an ancient curse..."

Freuden had no time to be surprised by that.

He had to hurry and follow.

"Please."

Freuden mounted the wolf spirit beast and stroked its nape.

The wolf spirit beast immediately became wind and rushed toward the source of the battle.

The God of Machinery moved as if to destroy the world.

With a single gesture, an entire district was swept away and disappeared.

Everything around was sturdy metal, but that made it useless before the God of Machinery.

Buildings collapsing mercilessly.

People screaming and running away.

Explosions, destruction, death, screams, chaos, despair happening everywhere.

Amidst all that, there were people fiercely fighting against the God of Machinery.

"Damn it! It's annoyingly sturdy!"

Verom backed away in frustration as he saw his sword easily blocked by the mechanical arm.

The crimson slash had enough output to cut through most things, but it was difficult to inflict even a scratch on the mechanical arm.

If he managed to make a small cut, even that would heal instantly.

It wasn't even a living organism, but a machine, yet it was regenerating.

"I must be crazy. Why did I get involved in this hell?"

Despite his words, Verom didn't give up the fight.

It was because he believed in Rudger.

That man would surely do something.

"Hey! John Doe! How long are you going to keep me waiting!"

It was a shout he blurted out, but surprisingly, a response came.

"Good job."

A brilliant light formed in the sky and Verom instinctively hunched his body.

The light was so intense that he thought it was dazzling even though his entire body was covered in armor.

"...Ha, what's this? I was about to give a sharp rebuke if you didn't do it properly after preparing for so long."

What appeared before the God of Machinery was a giant golden Buddha statue.

The brilliant golden flames were truly like the sun descended to earth.

Even the God of Machinery paused its destructive actions, which it had been carrying out as naturally as breathing, and faced the Buddha statue.

Rudger was at the center of the Buddha statue.

Unlike usual, his eyes were not blue but had a red aura swirling around them.

"Sealing technique first stage release."