"Good girl... Well done," said Neonidas, patting the head of the magnificent wolf.
In fact, the magnificent wolf needed to shrink in size in order to begin its healing process. As its size shrank, its wounds would also shrink, and it could better concentrate its energy to heal. The magnificent wolf was actually an extremely intelligent creature. After all, killing a dragon, which was even stronger than itself, demonstrated how smart it was. But ultimately, it was still an animal, or at least, it had powerful animal instincts.
An animal generally believes that the bigger it is, the stronger it will be, and although this thought is mostly correct, it's only "mostly" true. For now, it was the size of an average female wolf, but soon, it could become even larger and stronger than before. For now, she will need to heal and strengthen both body and soul.
Neonidas glared angrily at the she-wolf, a wolf who could only be called a she-wolf, who could no longer be called a Great One because Neonidas had forced her to change into her smallest form. Fortunately he was not really stupid and already he felt the wounds etched into his soul begin to heal.
"Let's go... Now, we have to go west." Neonidas said, turning to his guards.
By now, the imperial army had probably already set out, and the Empire had begun sending official invitations to every kingdom involved in the war. Allea would likely arrive in the capital within a few days via teleportation portals. Neonidas needed to strengthen himself as quickly as possible before the Victory celebrations began.
"But before we leave, let's give you a name..." Neonidas said, continuing to stroke the angry wolf's head.
"... Of course, I won't name you Fenrir... From now on, your name will be Fenrilia! Isn't it a beautiful name?"
The great female wolf rolled her eyes and walked past him, almost as if accepting her name and fate.
---
The next day, on the western side of the Empire.
Neonidas, the female wolf, and a dozen powerful mages reached the ruins in the middle of a prairie, blending in without drawing attention. Of course, they had first visited the Duchy, where they gathered mages who could perform water spells, which Neonidas needed.
There was a special ability waiting for him here that would strengthen him. Meanwhile, since Neonidas hadn't used his stat points yet, he was still quite weak, but at least he could rely on the buffs from Fenrilia to protect himself.
Neonidas stood before the ruins and scanned the area with sharp curiosity. His gaze shifted to the female wolf, now named Fenrilia. Leaning slightly towards her with a mocking smile, he said, "Don't embarrass me, little wolf. After giving you such a magnificent name, I don't want to see you crawling on the ground."
Fenrilia showed her teeth and growled lightly. Still, Neonidas saw this not as a threat, but as a sign that the female wolf's irritation hadn't passed. "Alright, alright. Don't roll your big eyes. You'll be grateful to me. Also for now, you're in debt to me, don't forget," he said, trying to stifle his laugh.
The guards were ready to move forward, and Neonidas began walking toward the ruins. The air became heavy as they stepped inside. Immediately, ancient symbols carved into the ground and broken stone columns caught his attention. This place had been abandoned for years and carried the traces of an ancient power.
One of the guards cautiously spoke, "My lord, is this place really safe? According to the rumors..."
Neonidas gave the guard a condescending glance. "What do the rumors say? Are there ghosts here? Then you can stay behind like little girls. Of course, there might be something powerful here. That's why I brought all of you here," he whispered in a firm tone.
The other guards exchanged uneasy looks, but they had no choice but to submit to Neonidas' authority. His arrogant, ruthless demeanor and the confidence in his eyes silenced any objections.
Fenrilia followed him closely, sensing her master's growing ambition. However, her instincts warned her of the dangers ahead. Neonidas had brought her here, but the threats within this place were far greater than his arrogance could handle.
As they moved slowly, Neonidas examined the old writings carved into the ground. "Ah, here it is! This is what we've been looking for," he said, his eyes scanning the symbols on a rock slab, a confident smile forming on his face.
"Step back. Something powerful might appear soon," he bent over the rock with ancient magical symbols inscribed upon it.
The rock appeared to be a kind of mechanism, with a hand-shaped mark on it. Without wasting any time, Neonidas placed his hand on the mark.
As Neonidas placed his finger on the hand-shaped mark, the surrounding air suddenly thickened. His eyes swiftly moved over the symbols, trying to decipher the meaning of the ancient language. Slowly, a vibration was felt, as if a power was awakening from beneath the earth.
Fenrilia lifted her head and perked her ears. She was aware of every movement that could put her in danger, but Neonidas' ambition made him unwilling to listen to her. And he had an expression as if he could smell victory up close. As his fingers slid over the stone, a mechanism inside the stone suddenly activated.
CRACK...
The stone began to open, revealing a hidden compartment inside. With a deep rumble, the ground started to shake. Neonidas initially smiled, but then narrowed his eyes and scanned his surroundings. "Ah, here it is... The Guardian! Everyone, stay alert!"
Fenrilia stretched her legs, sensing that something was terribly wrong. Her large eyes could feel the power emanating from deep within the earth. But in the end she could not approach Neonidas and say, "Master, watch out!" So she just kept growling noisily.
After a brief silence, a loud explosion rang out. The ground, stones, and debris flew into the air as a massive shadow emerged.
Neonidas smiled as the explosion shook the place. His eyes sparkled with excitement, but also with dark arrogance. "Ah, just like that! Everything is working perfectly, just as I wanted!" he said, fully aware of everything around him.
Neonidas looked at the guards he had brought. Though they were skilled with swords, their true strength lay in their ability to use magic. They were some of the best water mages from the Duchy, but of course, they could use other types of magic as well.
"Now, as we discussed before, only use water magic all of you. The crystal on the golem's head must never be damaged," Neonidas said, and with the she-wolf at his side, makes his way behind the guards.
His voice echoed in a deep tone, "Our goal is to keep the crystal intact. Focus on your water magic. Everything we need to stop the golem is in the power of water!"
Fenrilia took her place beside Neonidas, her eyes fixed on the spot where a giant shadow moved. The golem, shaking its massive stone body, began to rise from the earth.
Realizing that she was too weak to defeat the golem yet, she resented her own weakness, but still appreciated the way her master had protected her.
The golem's arms resembled massive stone blocks, and with each step, the ground trembled. Its eyes glowed like searing flames, presenting a colossal threat. However, Neonidas had planned to deal with this threat from the start. The power they were searching for was this massive stone creature, but the most effective weapon to use against it was already clear.
"Begin!" At Neonidas's command, the guards moved quickly. The strongest water mage clasped his hands together and took a deep breath. His eyes were focused, and droplets of water swirled around his body, floating in the air.
"Water Flow!" shouted the wizard and fired a huge water spell towards the golem. The waves surged forward, like the wind, crashing into the chunks of earth falling from the golem. The golem shuddered violently, but its massive form resisted the water. Still, the power of the water began to slowly penetrate its body.
A second mage entered with an even stronger technique. "Partial Water Prison!" The power in his hands shaped into an intense wall of water, which started to restrict the golem's movements. The golem tried to move through the water, but as the water barriers trapped it, each of its movements became harder. Its enormous stone arms could no longer resist the water, and its body filled with more and more water, growing heavier.
Neonidas glanced briefly at the powerful stream of water flowing through the golem's body. The weak spots of the golem were becoming evident under the influence of the water.
"The critical point is here!" Neonidas raised his hand and gestured to the guards. "Focus all your power here!"
All the water mages directed the water flowing from their hands towards the golem's shoulders. As the water seeped into the weak points of the body, the earth began to slowly melt. The golem, unable to withstand the intense flow of water, collapsed with a sound like a loud scream, its body dissolving into the melting earth.
Neonidas stepped forward to savor his victory. "Now, it's time for the crystal!" he said, quickly ending the pressure the water mages had put on the golem and clearing the path to the crystal.
Neonidas swiftly reached the wet crystal amidst the melting earth, and after clearing the dirt from it, he placed the crystal in his mouth and swallowed it without chewing.
"Ha... Finally!"
This crystal was not the source of the golem's power; it was the true treasure of the ruins. In other words, the golem had been guarding the crystal. As the crystal slid down into Neonidas's stomach, his eyes turned red, and a powerful energy began to circulate throughout his body. So much so that even the guards stepped back a little, hesitant. But Fenrilia, narrowing her eyes, watched Neonidas carefully.
As Neonidas's feet lifted off the ground and red lines began to swirl around him, an intense power gathered within him. It seemed that Neonidas had finally gotten what he craved: his own special power.