In the end, Richard successfully sold the alpha werewolf to the jungle witch, Jenny, for a handsome sum of $200,000.
With the deal done, Jenny began performing a binding ritual on the alpha. Normally, given her limited magical strength, she would never be able to subdue a creature of this caliber. But now that the alpha was half-dead thanks to Richard, she finally had a chance. Two hundred grand for a powerful and loyal bodyguard? She'd scored big time.
As the ritual commenced, Jenny pulled out a satchel of powders, glass vials, and potions. She began inscribing a magic circle onto a boulder while chanting in an ancient tongue. Richard hadn't studied that particular dialect, but thanks to his built-in Comprehend Languages enchantment, he understood every word.
The gist of it: invoking the power of a so-called deity to forcibly suppress the alpha werewolf's will and establish a binding contract. It was a complex spell—especially since the alpha was still actively resisting.
Soon the ritual circle was complete. Jenny approached the struggling alpha, who sensed what was coming and attempted to fight back—only to be instantly pinned down by Richard. He casually broke both its arms and legs.
Jenny pried open the beast's jaws and forced a bottle of thick green liquid down its throat. The werewolf's eyes glazed over. Jenny activated the magic circle, and purple arcane light enveloped both her and the beast.
About a minute later, the light faded. A glowing rune now flickered faintly on the werewolf's forehead.
To accelerate healing, Jenny uncorked another vial and fed the werewolf a potent potion. Its broken limbs mended at an astounding rate, and within ten minutes, the alpha was back on its feet.
Then, to Olsen's utter disbelief, the towering three-meter-tall monster shrank—transformed into a large gray wolf, just a bit bigger than a regular dog.
With the pack dealt with, Richard harvested the bloodlines from the remaining werewolves. Along the way, he also discovered several magically mutated plants—typical around arcane hotspots. Places rich in mana didn't just attract magical beasts; enchanted flora thrived too.
Once everything was gathered, the trio—Richard, Jenny, and Olsen—left the forest, bringing back the werewolf corpses and their spoils to the villa to collect their bounty.
---
At the Smith Estate
When Mr. Smith laid eyes on the werewolf corpses they'd hauled back, his jaw nearly hit the floor. It was one thing to read about mythical creatures—it was another thing entirely to have them lying dead at your feet. The sheer reality of it shattered his understanding of the world.
"Mr. Smith," Richard said politely, "Your flawed intelligence report cost us dearly. We lost three close comrades. Their families are now left with nothing. I believe fair compensation is in order."
As he spoke, Richard gestured toward the mangled werewolf bodies beside him—and the towering, clawed alpha standing just feet from Smith's face.
Swallowing hard, Smith croaked, "Mr. Charlie, I can offer another two hundred thousand dollars in compensation..."
"Two hundred?" Richard raised his brow. "Those men were like brothers to me. They had wives, children, families depending on them. How exactly am I supposed to break this devastating news to them?"
He gave a cold smile. "You'll have to do better than that."
Smith quickly stammered, "How much do you need, Mr. Charlie?"
"Half a million."
Smith flinched instinctively, about to protest—but one look at the alpha werewolf baring its fangs just inches away made him reconsider. He swallowed again and nodded quickly. "Five hundred thousand... very reasonable. I agree. Could you maybe ask your wolf to back up just a little?"
Richard gave a placating wave. "Relax, Mr. Smith. He's been trained. Perfectly safe now."
"Of course," he added with a wry grin, "he still has some wild instincts. Now and then, he might act on... impulse."
Smith forced a nervous laugh. "Understood. The payment will be ready immediately."
He didn't dare stall. Soon after, $800,000 in cash was handed over to Richard.
After counting it, Richard smiled in satisfaction and continued, "You know, Mr. Smith, I think your collection could use a werewolf specimen. It's a once-in-a-lifetime display piece. Your friends would be beyond envious. We both know how rare these creatures are."
"I'll give you a friendship price—$100,000. What do you say?"
Smith thought for a moment. Honestly, it was a great deal. He agreed.
He paid an additional $100,000 for the most intact werewolf body. Richard even enchanted it with preservation magic and removed the bloodline, making it ideal for long-term display.
In the end, Richard gave Olsen a generous $50,000 cut and returned to New York with $1.05 million in cash.
As for whether Mr. Smith might seek revenge later?
Richard wasn't worried at all.
After all—it was Charlie who did all this. What's it got to do with Richard?
---
Back in New York
Once back in his underground lab, Richard prepared to process the remaining werewolf corpses.
The idea struck him while he was at Smith's villa—those werewolf trophies could become a lucrative business opportunity.
After all, the U.S. had no shortage of rich eccentric collectors—many of whom were obsessed with hunting trophies. Lions, tigers, rhinos... the more exotic, the better.
But compared to actual werewolves? All of that paled.
If he could turn these legendary creatures into taxidermy mounts, he could sell them to wealthy elites at staggering prices.
In his lab, Richard got to work. The only downside? The bodies were badly mangled—he'd gone a little overboard during the fight. Not many intact corpses were left.
Fortunately, Richard was skilled. With expert craftsmanship and some magical touch-ups, he pieced together perfect-looking werewolf specimens using parts from multiple bodies.
Out of sixteen corpses (minus the one sold to Smith), he managed to stitch together eleven pristine werewolf trophies.
These werewolves had earned him over a million dollars while alive—and even more in death.
Honestly, they deserved a medal.
Richard gave his thanks to Mother Nature.
He displayed one of the werewolf specimens in his own Paranormal Agency Office, using it as promotional material. The rest, he sold.
With a touch of Suggestion magic, he charmed a senior auction house manager and used that connection to reach out to a select circle of ultra-wealthy collectors.
In the end, he sold ten werewolf trophies at an average price of $120,000 each.
As for the consequences of letting the public know that creatures like werewolves actually existed?
Not his problem.
That was for S.H.I.E.L.D. and the U.S. government to deal with.
He was just Charlie. Go talk to him.