103

Wolf Cub

The giant wolf, its legs crippled, limped away, unable to pursue any further. Forseti took the opportunity to tend to his chest injury.

A surge of holy light eased the pain in his chest gradually.

"Wu... ow..." The giant wolf, though incapacitated, continued to glare at Forseti, growling deeply.

With a swing of his warhammer, Forseti delivered a judgmental blow, striking the giant wolf's neck.

The wolf roared, attempting to give chase, but its injuries left it unable to match Forseti's pace.

Forseti engaged the wolf in a prolonged battle, gradually wearing it down until it could barely struggle.

Holy Light Strikes!

Holy Light Strikes!

Finally, Forseti unleashed a mighty swing of his warhammer, two consecutive Holy Light strikes landing on the weakened nape of the giant wolf, defeating it once and for all.

After a few more cautious strikes, he finally sat down to catch his breath.

"Where were you? I caught a wolf," Heimd's voice suddenly broke the silence as he approached, cradling a small creature in his arms.

Forseti remained silent, still catching his breath.

Heimd gently placed Little Shilut on the ground, then swiftly moved, leaving a trail of afterimages as he searched the vicinity.

When he returned, he held a newborn wolf cub in his hands, smiling mischievously. "Surprised?"

"Hey..." The wolf cub, barely able to open its eyes, whimpered in Heimd's grasp, looking pitiful and vulnerable.

Forseti was momentarily stunned, then sighed. "It's not a dragon cub."

Heimd casually remarked, "By the way, the dragon we subdued was a female with cubs. There might be more out there."

"Why didn't we find them?" Forseti inquired.

"I'm not sure; it's just speculation from a seasoned dragon hunter," Heimd shrugged. "The dragon we encountered seemed enraged, possibly because it lost its young."

Forseti got up from the ground.

Heimd handed him the wolf cub. "What do you intend to do with this little one? Keep it?"

Looking at the trembling wolf cub in his hands, Forseti couldn't help but recall the soul imprint of the wolf king, Lubos.

As the offspring of a giant wolf, this cub likely possessed remarkable potential compared to ordinary wolves. Could it be imbued with Lubos's soul imprint?

Previously, Forseti would have immediately marked the wolf cub with Lubos's soul imprint without hesitation, raising it carefully thereafter.

However, managing Little Shilut already posed its challenges; the stone-eating creature required constant care and attention, with its erratic sleep schedule causing further complications.

Taking on the responsibility of raising a wolf cub would undoubtedly be exhausting.

Nevertheless, the thought of wasting Lubos's soul imprint troubled Forseti deeply.

"I'll keep it," Forseti finally decided after much deliberation, knowing that hunters typically retained cubs during hunting expeditions for themselves.

Heimd nodded. "Let's return at dawn."

"Agreed."

They promptly gathered the giant wolf carcass and, of course, the boulder for Little Shilut's sustenance, and headed back to their makeshift shelter.

Forseti, holding Verðandi's Fist, crouched beside the boulder, methodically breaking it into smaller pieces with precise strikes.

"Crack."

The larger stone shattered into smaller fragments, which he tossed towards Little Shilut.

"Hey!" Little Shilut eagerly devoured the stones.

After breaking down all the boulders, Forseti finally allowed himself to rest.

As the sun rose and the sky brightened, Little Shilut finished consuming all the stones.

Despite consuming such a substantial boulder, Little Shilut remained as small and youthful as ever, showing no signs of growth.

Forseti picked up Little Shilut, noting no change in weight or size, pondering where all the stones had gone.

Another milky cry sounded, this time from the wolf cub crawling on the ground.

It wriggled about, eyes still shut, leaving muddy tracks in the rain-soaked soil.

Forseti sighed with a slight headache as he picked up and cleaned the cub.

Heimd chuckled. "You could sell this little wolf, you know."

Forseti fell silent for a moment. "Perhaps I could gift it to Princess Hela."

"Think she'll keep it?" Heimd doubted, "I don't think Hela would have much interest in wolves."

Forseti didn't respond, but he'd already made up his mind. He lacked the time and energy to raise a wolf cub. Besides, Hela had once raised the giant wolf Fenris in the future; she might not refuse another.

Offering Lubos's soul imprint to Hela seemed a fitting alternative for Forseti.

After finishing the last of the barbecue, they retraced their steps to the meeting point, where the light elves marveled at the giant wolf carcass.

"Need help transporting it?" one elf offered.

"We'll take it to the City of Destiny once the hunting festival concludes," Heimd replied.

The light elf grinned. "That sight will surely draw a crowd of admirers."

"Indeed. In hindsight, I quite enjoyed the hunting festival," Heimd remarked.

Forseti asked, "Planning to participate next time?"

"Perhaps," Heimd shrugged. "I hope there won't be any wars then... After Asgard's triumph in Jotunheim, the Frost Giants are quite agitated."

Finding a tent at the meeting point, Forseti retrieved the holy deed, turning to the page labeled "Soul Mark: Wolf King Lubos," and placed the wolf cub upon it.

The wolf cub remained gray, but the holy deed remained pristine, impervious to dirt or stains.

The cub lay on the holy deed, hind legs kicking slightly, leaving faint marks on the paper as it emitted soft cries.

Forseti tapped the cub gently, focusing his will.

Lubos's Soul Mark!

A beam of light shot from the holy deed, merging into the wolf cub, which absorbed the soul imprint. The page on the holy deed vanished.

"Wuuu.." The wolf cub appeared unchanged externally, eyes still closed, looking fragile and young.

Gradually, its cries softened, and it ceased trembling, as though newfound courage had stilled its fears.

In truth, the wolf cub inherited the innate bravery of the wolf king, Lubos.

As for Lubos's shadow powers or other abilities, only time would reveal.

Several days later.

Following the month-long hunting festival, Forseti and Heimd returned to the City of Destiny aboard a flying cat.

To transport the giant wolf's carcass, the light elves employed four stout flying cats. Together, the quartet soared through the skies, bearing the spectacle of their cargo.