The night was restless.
Every beast in Blackwood stirred uneasily beneath the echo of that howl. The villagers, too, woke in fright. Doors were barred, shutters latched. Children cried while mothers hushed them with trembling arms. Even the hunting team, hardened by years of blood, kept their blades close to their beds.
That howl had not been ordinary.
It was the call of an Alpha.
---
Aiden didn't sleep.
He sat cross-legged in his dim hut, his blade across his knees, staring at the faint shimmer of moonlight through the cracks in the wood. His body ached from the day's battles, but fatigue couldn't drown the pulse of hunger thrumming in his veins.
Every breath he took was threaded with fire. His skin itched with power that didn't belong wholly to him. The Dragon's Heart stirred faintly, while the Devourer's whisper grew louder.
That howl was a challenge.
He knew it. He felt it. Somewhere deep in the forest, the Alpha had marked him.
And he would answer.
---
Before dawn, he rose.
The village still slumbered when Aiden strapped on his tattered boots and stepped outside. The mist clung to the earth, heavy and wet. No one stopped him this time, though he felt the presence of eyes through shutter cracks.
Perhaps they had already accepted it: the boy who walked into the forest and returned bloodied, the boy who drew monsters closer to their walls.
Perhaps they already believed he wouldn't come back.
---
The forest was unnaturally quiet.
Birdsong stilled. Insects hushed. The usual chatter of life had been smothered beneath the Alpha's dominion. Every root, every branch felt taut, straining under unseen weight.
Aiden's hand rested on his blade as he advanced. His breaths came steady.
Soon, he saw them.
Wolves — dozens. Their eyes glowed faintly in the mist, their bodies bristling with tension. Rank 3s and 4s, pacing, circling, yet none dared attack.
Instead, they parted.
A corridor of snarling beasts opened before him. And at the end…
The Alpha.
---
It was massive.
Nearly twice the size of the dire wolves he had slain. Its fur was darker, almost black, streaked with silver scars. Its fangs gleamed like ivory blades, and its eyes burned with eerie intelligence.
A Rank 5 Dire Wolf. A ruler of the forest.
The beast stepped forward, muscles rippling with raw power. Its howl thundered through the trees, shaking branches, rattling Aiden's bones.
The lesser wolves bowed their heads.
Aiden's grip tightened. His pulse pounded. Fear coiled in his gut, primal and sharp — but beneath it, something fiercer burned.
Hunger.
---
The Alpha moved first.
One moment it stood still, the next it was a blur of black fur and silver fangs. Aiden barely saw it before it was upon him.
Fast—!
He twisted, rolling aside. The ground exploded where the wolf landed, claws tearing deep gouges in the soil.
Aiden rose, blade slashing upward. Steel met fur, but the Alpha's hide was thick, resisting the strike like iron. Sparks flew. The beast snarled, twisting with terrifying speed, its massive paw swiping.
The blow hit like a hammer.
Aiden's body crashed against a tree, bark splintering. His lungs seized, blood rushing in his throat.
Stronger… so much stronger…
The Alpha stalked closer, fangs bared. The other wolves growled low, eager, but none interfered. This was the Alpha's fight.
Aiden forced himself to stand. His chest screamed, his ribs cracked, but his eyes burned.
If he faltered here, the hunger whispered, he would be swallowed.
He raised his blade again.
---
The battle raged.
Every strike of the Alpha sent shockwaves through the ground. Every slash of Aiden's sword was met with speed and savagery that nearly tore him apart. His clothes ripped, his skin bled, his body throbbed with wounds.
But with each clash, something inside him stirred deeper.
His movements sharpened. His reflexes snapped faster. His vision, his hearing — heightened to an edge so fine it felt unreal.
The Alpha lunged again, jaws snapping for his throat. Aiden ducked low, his blade thrusting upward into its chest. The steel bit, not deep, but enough to draw blood.
The Alpha roared, staggering back.
The wolves howled as one.
Aiden's chest heaved, his arm trembling — but his lips curved into a grim smile.
"Bleed," he whispered.
---
The Devourer's power surged.
He reached out, palm brushing the air, and for the first time, he didn't hold back. The hunger lashed outward, invisible yet suffocating, drinking from the Alpha's blood that stained the earth.
The wolf snarled, shaking its head as if swatting away flies, but Aiden felt the pull — faint, subtle, but real. Its vitality, its strength, feeding him.
His veins burned black. His wounds closed faster. His breath steadied.
The Alpha's eyes narrowed, wary now.
Aiden raised his blade.
"This ends with me standing."
---
The final clash shook the forest.
The Alpha charged. Aiden surged forward to meet it.
Fangs met steel. Claws raked flesh. The ground tore beneath their struggle.
For a heartbeat, it seemed equal — man and beast locked in raw fury.
Then Aiden let go.
The hunger roared through him, wild and unchained. His muscles flared with inhuman strength. His blade, chipped and battered, drove forward with every ounce of his will.
Steel pierced flesh.
The Alpha howled, its massive body convulsing. Aiden twisted, driving the blade deeper until the beast collapsed beneath him, its eyes dimming.
The forest fell silent.
The Alpha lay still.
And Aiden, blood-soaked and trembling, stood above it.
---
The wolves around them whimpered. For a moment, they hesitated — then lowered their heads. One by one, they melted back into the shadows of the forest, leaving their fallen ruler behind.
Aiden fell to his knees, chest heaving. His vision swam. His body screamed in agony.
But beneath it all… power surged.
The hunger devoured, greedily swallowing the Alpha's strength. His veins burned, his muscles shuddered, his mind flooded with energy until it threatened to burst.
When it finally ebbed, Aiden collapsed against the beast's body.
He was stronger.
Stronger than ever.
---
Later, when he staggered back to the village with the Alpha's massive fang tied to his belt, the hunters stared in disbelief.
No words were spoken.
But whispers followed him through the streets.
"Impossible…"
"A Rank 5… alone?"
"What is he becoming?"
Even Elder Rowan, watching silently from his window, felt a chill.
For in Aiden's eyes, beneath exhaustion and blood, burned a light far beyond a villager's son.
It was the light of someone climbing too quickly.
Too dangerously.
---
Current Strength Revealed:
Rank: 3 (High) → edging toward Rank 4 after devouring the Alpha.
Comparison: A normal Rank 3 would die instantly to a Rank 5. His unnatural growth, Devourer's gift, and sheer will let him bridge the gap.
---