"SET OUT!"
Colin's command exploded through the frozen cave like a thunderclap from the heavens.
Instantly—
The entire expedition moved.
Like an avalanche unleashed from the mountains.
The Thirteen Wolf Guards surged forward first, their massive bodies cloaked in white fur and dark armor, resembling grim reapers born from blizzards. Behind them marched Barton's elite boar-folk warriors alongside more than five hundred hardened werewolf soldiers.
Heavy footsteps shook the frozen earth.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
Each step carried terrifying rhythm and discipline.
The air itself seemed to tremble beneath the pressure of an army marching toward conquest.
Blood.
Sweat.
Battle intent.
The expedition radiated the unmistakable aura of conquerors.
And from this moment onward—
Colin's true northern campaign officially began.
At the front of the formation walked Icefang.
The former king of Ice-Rift Canyon had now become the living map of Giant Bear Ridge.
No creature understood these frozen mountains better than him.
He knew where hidden ice-rift valleys waited beneath the snow to swallow entire armies whole.
He knew which cliffs were vulnerable to avalanches.
He knew every concealed den, every hunting ground, every hidden territory occupied by Snow Giant Wolf packs.
Under his guidance, the expedition crossed terrain no ordinary army could survive.
They traversed narrow valleys carved by endless winter winds.
Scaled steep ridges sharp enough to pierce the sky.
Waded through ancient frozen underground rivers where death lurked beneath thin ice.
The march was brutal.
Relentless.
Yet no one dared complain.
Because each step brought them closer to building something unprecedented.
A kingdom of wolves.
Several days later—
The expedition finally reached their first target.
The Crimson Valley.
The moment they entered the region, even the warriors instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons.
Everything here felt… violent.
The massive stone walls surrounding the valley possessed a dark crimson hue, as though soaked for centuries in endless bloodshed.
An oppressive killing intent lingered naturally within the air.
And deep within the valley—
A gigantic cave sat hidden between jagged cliffs like a lurking beast waiting to devour intruders.
Then—
Icefang stepped forward.
The former Alpha raised his massive head and released a thunderous roar.
"AWOOOOOO—!!"
The sound echoed endlessly across Crimson Valley.
A declaration.
A warning.
A king announcing his arrival.
But the response came immediately.
And violently.
"AWOOOOOO—!!!"
A crimson figure burst out from the cave like a flame erupting from hell itself.
It was another Alpha Wolf.
Massive.
Savage.
Its fur possessed a dark blood-red color resembling rusted steel stained by slaughter.
Behind it followed over fifty adult Snow Giant Wolves.
Their growls shook the valley walls.
Their eyes burned with hostility.
The crimson Alpha stared directly at Icefang.
No hesitation existed within its gaze.
Only contempt.
Contempt for a traitor.
And murderous hatred toward invaders.
This—
Was its territory.
Its kingdom.
Its hunting ground.
And no outsider would take it away.
Then—
Mo moved.
No roar.
No threat.
No unnecessary motion.
The gigantic white wolf simply began walking forward slowly.
Yet every step carried overwhelming pressure.
The atmosphere instantly changed.
The crimson Alpha's body stiffened violently.
Its instincts screamed.
Fear exploded within its heart.
Because the moment Mo's golden eyes locked onto it—
It felt as though an entire ocean had collapsed upon its soul.
An incomprehensible existence.
A predator beyond understanding.
But pride still remained.
The crimson Alpha released a furious roar and lunged forward desperately.
Its massive body tore through the snow like a crimson meteor.
Then—
BOOM!!!
A gigantic white claw descended from above.
The impact shook the entire valley.
The crimson Alpha's charge ended instantly.
Its body was smashed violently into the frozen earth beneath Mo's overwhelming strength.
Like a child crushed beneath a mountain.
Mo's enormous forelimb pinned the struggling Alpha down effortlessly.
Sharp claws pierced deeply into flesh.
The crimson wolf roared and thrashed violently.
But every struggle felt insignificant.
Pathetic.
Hopeless.
The difference in strength was too absolute.
Too overwhelming.
Its defeat came even faster than Icefang's.
At that moment—
Icefang slowly stepped forward.
The former king stared quietly at the struggling crimson Alpha.
No mockery.
No hostility.
Only understanding.
Because he had once knelt beneath that same overwhelming force himself.
Their eyes met.
And without words—
Icefang conveyed a single message.
Submit.
Or die.
The crimson Alpha's furious struggles gradually weakened.
The fire within its burning eyes slowly dimmed.
Finally—
It lowered its head.
Submission.
Another king had fallen beneath Colin's banner.
A faint smile appeared on Colin's face.
Everything was proceeding exactly as planned.
He immediately selected sixty elite werewolf warriors skilled in stealth and tracking.
"You will remain here," Colin ordered coldly.
"Your mission is not domination."
"It is integration."
The warriors straightened instantly.
"You will guide them."
"Assimilate them."
"Teach them our laws."
"Teach them obedience."
"And once the pack stabilizes…"
"Bring them to rendezvous with Hask."
"Yes, Chief!"
The werewolves roared simultaneously.
Then—
The expedition moved again.
And from that point onward—
The conquest of Giant Bear Ridge truly began.
The second pack was the Canyon Pack.
Cautious.
Cunning.
They occupied a massive canyon labyrinth and attempted to use the terrain to ambush the expedition.
But before Mo's terrifying senses and Icefang's complete knowledge of the region—
Their tricks became meaningless.
The ambush failed disastrously.
The Alpha was captured alive after a brief struggle.
Submission followed soon after.
The third target became the largest and most dangerous pack of all.
The Gemini Pack.
Nearly seventy Snow Giant Wolves.
They ruled the richest river valley in the entire region.
And unlike ordinary packs—
This one possessed two Alpha Wolves.
Brothers.
Twin rulers.
Their coordination was flawless.
For the first time since entering Giant Bear Ridge—
Mo encountered real resistance.
The two Alpha Wolves attacked together with terrifying synchronization.
One targeted the throat.
The other attacked the blind spots.
Their teamwork bordered on perfection.
Even Mo was forced backward momentarily.
The surrounding wolves erupted into savage excitement.
Hope appeared within their eyes.
Perhaps—
Their kings could actually win.
But then—
Mo stopped holding back.
The giant white wolf moved like a storm unleashed.
His claws tore through snow and stone alike.
His golden eyes glowed with terrifying ferocity.
And in a single devastating exchange—
He caught the elder brother by the spine.
CRACK!!!
The horrifying sound echoed across the valley.
Mo's Death Roll tore the Alpha apart completely.
The elder wolf collapsed lifelessly into the snow.
Silence followed.
The younger brother froze.
Its entire body trembled violently.
The death of its brother shattered its will completely.
Moments later—
It collapsed before Mo with a despairing whimper.
Colin looked down coldly at the broken Alpha.
No hesitation appeared in his eyes.
A king without spirit held no value.
"Kill it."
The order was executed immediately.
Blood dyed the snow crimson.
And the Gemini Pack was forcefully absorbed into Colin's growing empire.
Not every conquest required slaughter.
One elderly Alpha from the Twilight Pack surrendered immediately after sensing Mo's overwhelming aura.
Its tribe had already reached the brink of extinction.
Starving.
Exhausted.
Hopeless.
The old Alpha lowered itself before Colin not with fear—
But relief.
As though finally freed from endless suffering.
Another pack, known as the Stray Pack, behaved like mad beasts.
Driven from their territories long ago, they attacked recklessly and without fear.
They launched a suicidal charge against Colin's army.
The result was disastrous.
Over a dozen wolves died within minutes.
Then—
Colin ordered dried meat thrown before them.
The starving wolves froze.
Their madness disappeared instantly.
Moments later—
They bowed their heads like obedient hounds.
Hunger had conquered what violence could not.
One pack after another fell.
The fourth.
The fifth.
The sixth.
And finally—
The seventh.
A tiny newborn pack led by an ambitious yet foolish young Alpha.
It attempted resistance.
It lasted less than ten minutes.
With its fall—
The entirety of Giant Bear Ridge officially unified beneath Colin's control.
When the exhausted expedition finally returned to the main den—
Everyone stopped in shock.
Because the place before them no longer resembled a simple cave.
It had become an empire.
The Wolf God Temple stood proudly at the center of the basin.
And surrounding it—
Hundreds upon hundreds of Snow Giant Wolves filled the valley.
Some chased each other through the snow.
Some rested lazily beneath wind-protected cliffs.
Others stared toward the temple itself with awe-filled eyes.
The scent of wolves saturated the air so heavily it became suffocating.
This was no longer a collection of packs.
This was an army.
A nation.
A kingdom of predators.
Hask rushed toward Colin immediately, excitement practically exploding from his face.
"Chief!"
"You're finally back!"
His voice trembled with fanaticism.
Then he delivered the report.
"Current total count!"
"Three hundred and seventy-two adult Snow Giant Wolves!"
"One hundred and thirteen cubs!"
Silence followed.
Then—
Everyone inhaled sharply.
Even Colin's calm heart trembled slightly.
He had succeeded.
In barely over ten days—
He had united every Snow Giant Wolf pack across Giant Bear Ridge.
The foundation of an invincible Wolf Cavalry had officially been born.
One powerful enough to shake the North itself.
Meanwhile—
Icefang had completely assumed the role of second-in-command beneath Mo.
Using his experience as a former king, he ruthlessly enforced order among the newly unified wolves.
Troublemakers were crushed immediately.
Challenges were suppressed mercilessly.
Under his leadership—
Seven different packs gradually began transforming into a single unified force.
A true army.
Colin stood silently at the entrance of the Wolf God Temple.
Snow drifted quietly around him.
Before him stretched a growing empire filled with life, violence, and endless potential.
His deep eyes reflected countless wolves gathered beneath his command.
And slowly—
A smile appeared on his face.
Cold.
Ambitious.
Hungry enough to devour the world itself.
Because he knew—
This was only the beginning.
The first step toward the birth of Colin's Iron-Blood Empire.