CHAPTER 64: CH 64: SHADOWGUARD’S FANG - PART 1

Fenrir gets only a little time to rest before he decides that it is time for him to get back to his potions.

The first thing he needs to do is gather all ingredients and for that, he decides to rely on Team Gram this time.

He sends a message to Karl, the leader of Team Gram for the dungeon raid.

As soon as Fenrir finished sending the message to Team Gram about needing an escort into an A-class dungeon, he got a response almost immediately.

[Karl: We’re in. Just tell us when and where, and we’ll be ready.]

Fenrir cracked a rare smile.

’Say what you will about Team Gram, but they are professionals through and through.’

He replied, letting them know the dungeon coordinates and that they would be leaving within the hour.

[I’ll prepare something decent for your reward.]

Fenrir messages as he shut off his device.

He started browsing online for a new weapon, hoping to find something suitable for himself.

While he was more of a potion-maker than a frontline fighter, he couldn’t always rely on others to protect him.

If he was going to go into deeper dungeons or harvest materials like the Shadowguard’s Fang, he needed to be ready.

Unfortunately, nothing caught his eye. The weapons were either overpriced junk or overhyped prototypes.

"Tch. Useless."

Instead, he packed a few of his Elemental Resistance Potions, which had caused an uproar in the auction scene just hours ago.

That potion had easily passed ten million, but Fenrir didn’t care much for the gold.

What mattered to him was the leverage — and he knew giving a few of these potions to Team Gram would cement their loyalty even more.

______

When Fenrir arrived at the dungeon entrance, Team Gram was already there, waiting for him in full gear.

"Young Master, We’re ready when you are."

Karl greeted him with a respectful nod.

Fenrir nodded in return.

"We’re hunting for Shadowguard’s Fang. I’ll be collecting the materials myself, so I need you all to keep me alive."

Karl saluted dramatically.

"Understood. I will protect our precious alchemist with my life."

Fenrir ignored the theatrical tone.

"Let’s go."

The moment they stepped into the dungeon, the atmosphere changed.

The air was colder, shadows seemed thicker, and the faint howls of the Shadowguard wolves echoed from deeper within.

They made good time navigating the first few chambers. Most of the monsters were mid-tier and quickly dealt with by Team Gram.

When they finally reached the wolves’ den, Fenrir gave quick instructions.

"Lys, aim only for the wolves that are healthy and closer to us. I don’t want the den riled up too early."

Lys, the team’s archer, didn’t speak. She simply nodded, adjusted her stance, and released the first arrow.

Thunk!

The first Shadowguard wolf dropped with a clean headshot. Then another. And another.

"She’s gotten better."

Fenrir murmured.

"She’s been practicing a lot. We all have."

Karl replied proudly, slashing a lunging wolf in half with a massive cleaver.

More wolves began to stir. Sensing the attack, a group rushed toward them with glowing red eyes and shadowy limbs that flickered like smoke.

"Bern!"

Karl called out.

"Already on it."

Bern, the team’s mage, lifted his staff and muttered a short incantation.

A barrier of shimmering energy expanded outward, throwing the charging wolves back and forming a protective dome around them.

"I’ll hold them off. Don’t get sloppy."

Bern warned.

"Wasn’t planning to."

Karl muttered, leaping forward to cleave down two dazed wolves that had survived the initial blast.

With the rest of the team holding the wolves back, Fenrir moved quickly.

He stepped over the corpses with precision, inspecting each for the distinctive long upper fang he needed — a Shadowguard’s Fang, a rare material that had to be harvested from mature wolves before they fully dissipated into smoke.

He pulled out a curved dagger and began working. His movements were fast, efficient.

Blood stained his gloves, and his breath fogged up in the cold dungeon air, but his hands remained steady.

"Three fangs. I need at least five."

He muttered.

More wolves lunged from deeper in the den, but the team was ready.

Karl carved through two with a brutal sweep of his blade, and Lys nailed one mid-leap with a pinpoint shot through the eye.

Bern kept the pressure on with mana-based traps that slowed or stunned the faster wolves.

Fenrir moved in sync with them, harvesting every eligible corpse that hit the ground.

Once Fenrir had secured more than enough Shadowguard fangs, he gave a sharp nod to his team.

"That’s it. We’re pulling out."

He said.

Team Gram immediately fell into formation, no one questioning his call.

Karl gave a short command, and the group circled around Fenrir, guarding every angle as they began their retreat.

But the Shadowguard wolves weren’t done.

Their growls echoed through the dungeon, growing louder by the second. Fenrir could already sense the next wave of monsters beginning to stir.

Not wanting to waste time or resources in an unnecessary battle, he quickly pulled out a Smoke Potion from his belt and smashed it on the ground.

The thick, pungent smoke spread fast, curling like fingers across the rocky terrain.

The moment it hit the air, the wolves’ howls faltered. Sensitive to smells, the Shadowguards recoiled, unable to track Fenrir or his team through the chemical haze.

"Move."

Fenrir ordered, and the party dashed out, their steps sure and silent.

Within minutes, they reached the edge of the dungeon and passed through the exit gate.

Once safely outside, the tension finally broke. Karl wiped sweat off his brow and laughed. "Well, that went smoother than I expected. Good work, everyone."

Lys nodded silently, as usual. Bern muttered something about needing a bath and a drink, and the rest of the team exchanged small smiles.

Fenrir took a breath, then turned to Karl with a curious expression.

"Let me ask you something."

Karl straightened slightly.

"Go ahead."

"How confident are you that your team could handle an S-class dungeon?"

That single question made everyone freeze for a moment. Karl’s easy expression shifted into something more serious. He folded his arms and considered it.

"We’ve trained hard. And I won’t say we’re weak. But... S-class? That’s a different beast. Maybe we could pull it off. But I can’t say we’d come out unscathed. I’d be gambling on our luck as much as our strength."

He said slowly.

Fenrir studied him for a moment, then nodded.

"That’s good enough for now. I was just asking for future reference."

Karl exhaled visibly in relief, and the rest of the team relaxed as well.

Then Fenrir turned his attention to the matter they were all clearly waiting for — the reward.

"Let’s talk compensation."

At that, everyone perked up. Even Lys tilted her head slightly in interest.

Fenrir smirked slightly at their eagerness.

"I don’t have a worthy weapon to give you this time."

That drew a ripple of disappointment. Karl tried to hide it with a smile, and Bern mumbled,

"It’s fine. We didn’t do this just for that."

"We understand, young master. Don’t worry about it."

Karl added quickly.

But Fenrir held up a hand to stop them.

"That’s why I prepared something else."