Arthur smiled faintly, revealing his sharp fangs. His eyes narrowed into a frightening, eerie expression. He let out a low chuckle that made him sound even more sinister, not on purpose.

  “So you can understand me. That’s very good.”

  Hearing his voice for the third time made Amaryllis feel like the world was spinning around her.

  'He’s really talking! This is impossible. What is happening? Am I hallucinating? No, wait… could he be some kind of legendary beast with a superior bloodline? But how? He’s just a limping wolf missing a leg.'

  No matter how hard she tried to process it, she only grew more confused. Especially since her mental strength was already at rock bottom. Because of that, she froze in place, dizzy and shocked.

  Arthur grew slightly annoyed and let out another disappointed sigh.

  'What’s wrong with this girl? Is my ability to communicate really that shocking? Hasn’t she realized yet that I’m speaking to her through the mental link she created between us? I can’t even talk in the first place, and I don’t understand her language at all.'

  Arthur had been able to break Amaryllis’ mental spell easily, but he had kept it for this very purpose.

  Even though he was an intelligent and highly rational being, he had discovered something unfortunate: he couldn’t understand the languages of the creatures in this world, except for wolves. Which made sense, since they were the same species.

  In fact, this inability also applied to the Spider Woman. That was why she had planted her webs inside his body before. It wasn’t just to control him.

  Apparently, strong mental links between beings greatly facilitated communication, though at the cost of mental energy, which could heavily strain their brains.

  Seconds passed slowly, and Amaryllis didn’t say a word. That only made him more irritated. With firm steps, he started walking toward them.

  When she saw him getting closer, some of her composure returned. She hugged her sister, who still didn’t understand anything, even tighter and shouted in fear,

  "Stop right there! Stay back! What do you want from us?!"

  He stopped. He thought carefully about what to say. Just as he opened his mouth to speak and explain his intentions, he suddenly froze.

  A strange look crossed his face. He sniffed the air sharply and caught several familiar scents, instantly recognizing their owners.

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  'Humans?! A lot of them. And they’re heading this way fast, with some beasts. This is trouble.'

  He glanced at Amaryllis, who was staring at him. This wasn’t the right time for a long conversation. So he changed his tone and said coldly,

  "Leave this place. The humans are coming."

  Even though Amaryllis had already gone through several shocks in a row, the moment she heard the word humans, fear rushed through her. She quickly looked around, scanning the area in panic, unsure what to do.

  'Unfortunately, I can’t help them. Most of the humans coming are around my rank. Getting involved with them would only cause trouble. I’m just a monster right now. I shouldn’t forget that.'

  After thinking it over again, he felt a bit of regret for meeting the two girls under these circumstances.

  Deep down, he knew that if he left them like this, he would probably regret it. But there was no other choice. He wanted to survive too and avoid unnecessary fights.

  Hesitating for a moment, he turned around and walked away silently, unable to look back again.

  When she saw him leave just like that, without doing anything to them, Amaryllis was stunned at first.

  But she didn’t have time to feel relieved about escaping the claws of that savage wolf. The humans were still on their trail, and if they were caught, it would be far worse.

  Her thoughts raced, trying to find a solution. She couldn’t fight. She couldn’t even run. She had no Mana left, no weapons. Her sister was just a weak little girl. In short, escaping alive was impossible.

  Yet, for some reason, she didn't feel the same crushing despair as before.. Instead, she felt a small spark of hope. The strange wolf in front of her.

  She didn’t hesitate or think twice. Letting go of her sister, she told her, "Don’t move from here." Then she stood up and ran with everything she had, blocking his path. With a firm look, she begged him.

  "Please, help us. Save us."

  Arthur frowned, stepped around her, and kept walking away. Even though he ignored her, Amaryllis didn’t give up. She rushed again and blocked his path once more.

  "I’m begging you. Listen, if you don’t want to help both of us, then at least help my sister. I’ll do anything you want. Just take her away from here."

  Arthur’s ears twitched. The humans were getting closer. At most, they would arrive in two minutes. He bared his fangs and replied coldly,

  "Move out of my way.”

  Seeing him stop, speak to her, and give her a moment of his time, her confidence grew. She said,

  "No, you are our only hope. I can't let you go like this. I will keep begging you until you help my sister.

  I’ll do anything—I'll become your slave, even your food. In exchange, just save her."

  "You want to become my food? Fine then."

  Arthur pounced on her, pinning her to the ground. Like a hungry beast, he let his saliva drip onto her pale face.

  He stared into her eyes and found them clear, calm, and unafraid. She answered him indifferently.

  "We won’t survive anyway, so just do as you wish.”

  The entire time, Aveline didn't understand why her older sister was pleading with the savage wolf; she couldn't understand his words, and all she heard were terrifying growls.

  Seeing him pounce on her sister as if to eat her, she could no longer stay still. Terrified and crying, she ran toward him, grabbed his back leg, and began hitting him, screaming in a language he didn't understand.

  Arthur’s eyes scanned the faces of the two sisters, seeing the misery and despair in their eyes. At that moment, a dark memory flashed through his mind.

  He, too, had been in a similar situation the day the wolf pack hunted him and he felt utter despair.

  At that time, he had clung to the Spider Woman because she was the only hope he could find.

  In reality, he could have left at any moment, and the weak elves wouldn't have been able to stop him.

  But he had kept stalling. Deep down, he wanted her to convince him to help them—to give him a reason that made him feel he wasn't doing it just because of his nature as a former human.

  He hid his fangs and savagery, shaking his head with regret.

  'What am I actually thinking? I can't just abandon them like this. I'm not heartless.'

  His hesitation vanished, and he finally made his decision. He let out a short sigh for the fourth time and said,

  "Fine, I will help you."

  Upon hearing this, the spark returned to Amaryllis's eyes. She responded in shock, "Really?"

  Then, a look of relief washed over her face, and she added with immense gratitude, "Thank you.”

  — — — — — — — — —

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