Chapter 39: The New Era Begins

I strode confidently toward the platform, the kneeling Omega werewolves parting before me like water.

I climbed the platform with ease, turning to face the stunned citizens.

I looked over the sea of faces—fear, awe, curiosity—all blended into one.

Behind me, the Omega werewolves stood tall once more, awaiting my words.

A faint smirk curled my lips.

"Let's get started, shall we?"

Clapping my hands once, I glanced back—watching as Agrest was dragged forward in heavy metal chains, his arms bound tight, the iron links clanking with every step. His appearance was pitiful—blood staining his clothes, one leg crudely bandaged, his face pale with exhaustion—but even now, defiance burned in his eyes.

The two Omega werewolves yanked him onto the platform, forcing him down to his knees with a harsh thud against the wooden planks.

I could feel the crowd's eyes shifting, their expressions darkening as they took in the once-powerful lord of this city—bloodied, kneeling, completely broken before me.

And then, a roar erupted from the crowd.

"YEEEEAAHHH!"

"Kill him!"

"End him!"

I wasn't sure who shouted first, but their rage was contagious. Thousands of voices blended into one relentless chant:

"Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"

The platform itself vibrated beneath my feet from the force of their united hatred. The people had made up their minds—this was their new beginning, and Agrest was the symbol of the old world they despised.

I raised my hand, silencing them instantly.

All eyes snapped to me—anticipation, fear, reverence—thousands of gazes locked on me, the man who had taken down their ruler.

I turned to Agrest, his head lifted, the same stubborn defiance etched into his face.

"Any last words?" I asked, my tone dripping with mockery.

Agrest coughed, blood spattering the floor, but his voice remained steady as he spat out the same bitter warning he had given me before:

"Your days are numbered… Soon, soldiers from the neighboring cities will come for you all."

And then he laughed—a broken, desperate sound, almost deranged.

I simply shook my head, signaling the two Omega werewolves, who immediately gagged him with cloth, silencing his pathetic laughter.

Turning back to the crowd, I raised my voice:

"You see this? Look at him. This is what your so-called leaders become with their so-called power… degenerates to the very core."

I gestured at Agrest, letting the people see his defeated, bloodied form.

"And you think if the king's soldiers come here, they'll care about you? You think they'll free you? You think they'll ask questions about your loyalty? No. They'll slaughter you, burn your homes, and reclaim this city under their banner—just as they always have."

The crowd stirred, uncertain whispers spreading among them.

"So let me be clear," I continued. "Let me become the new ruler of this city, and I promise—what these nobles did to you… will never happen again."

Some faces lit with hope… others remained doubtful. Many, worn down by suffering, had given up entirely—their eyes hollow, their expressions numb. They had lived their whole lives watching rulers make grand promises, only to betray them in the end. To them, I was just another man with loud words and nothing else.

They didn't believe anyone could change their fate.

But then, I noticed her—a young girl, no older than nine or ten, nervously raising her hand, trembling as though regretting her decision immediately.

I pointed at her. "You. Speak, child. What's your question?"

The crowd parted around her, stepping back as if the ground beneath her feet was cursed. The girl shrank under their stares, her entire body trembling in fear. She was terrified that if she dared ask her question, the new lord might kill her.

The people were afraid too—afraid I might silence her, punish her for speaking out. In that moment, they weighed my character—was I different, or just another monster in power?

Tears welled in the girl's eyes, but she stood her ground, voice quivering as she spoke:

"Lord… what can you really change in this world?" Her tiny voice cracked, her eyes filled with quiet desperation. "I'm an orphan. I don't even get one meal a day… If you become the new lord, will that change? Will I… will these people… ever have food? Or will we still live in poverty, fearing death every day? Will I ever be strong enough to stand on my own… to decide when I live… or how I die? Or… will we always be weak… powerless… and forgotten?"

Her tears flowed freely now, her small frame shaking as the weight of those words poured out.

The crowd was silent—utterly still.

Their eyes darted between me and the girl. Would I lash out? Ignore her? Or… would I answer?

I didn't hesitate.

Leaping from the platform, I landed softly beside the girl, ignoring the collective gasp of fear that rippled through the people.

She flinched as I approached, her tiny fists clenched tight, prepared for the worst.

Instead, I gently placed a hand on her head, ruffling her messy hair.

I didn't answer her immediately.

Instead, I turned to face the entire crowd, my voice booming with conviction:

"To answer this brave girl's question… I say this to all of you who came here today… to witness the end of an era and the birth of a new one…"

I paused, letting the silence stretch, drawing them in, every heart hanging on my words.

"I will change this world forever," I declared, my voice heavy with confidence and dominance.

The crowd whispered among themselves, eyes wide with disbelief.

"I won't just give you better lives than you ever dreamed of…" I continued. "I will give you power. Enough power that every one of you will control your own fate—to live… or to die—on your own terms."

Gasps echoed across the crowd, some in awe, others in fear.

Lifting the crying girl gently into my arms, I leaped back onto the platform, handing her to Bella.

"Take care of her," I ordered softly.

Bella nodded, holding the child close as the girl sobbed quietly.

I turned back to the crowd, eyes narrowing.

"Do you really think I can give you a good life? ...... No. I can't. But you… you can give yourselves a good life—once you have power."

The people listened, their doubt faltering under the weight of my words.

"And right now… you don't have that power. Most of you are below level 10. You don't even understand how to level up… how to grow… how to change your reality."

I let that sink in, the sting of their own weakness cutting through the silence.

"But I can change that," I declared. "I won't just give you power—I'll give you the strength to understand yourselves… to rise above weakness… to abandon your fragile human skins… and become monsters."

I gestured to the rows of white-clad figures behind me.

"They were once the lowest of the low… weaker than you… forgotten, beaten, discarded. But now? Look at them. They stand beside me. They aren't human anymore—they're monsters in human skin. They Are Warriors. Every one of them above level 20—many already at 30."

I stepped forward, my voice ringing with iron certainty.

"They abandoned weakness. They embraced power. Now… I offer you the same choice."

The crowd erupted in cheers, roaring at the top of their lungs:

"We are with you!"

They were afraid this opportunity might slip by—seeing the people in white robes, they finally believed… they might also become strong like them.

A grin curled my lips.

Everything was going according to plan. Soon, this city would belong entirely to the Wolf Order—a city of werewolves.

I raised my hand, silencing them once more.

"All of this… starts with this man's death."

I turned, staring down at Agrest, who glared back defiantly—though the fear was finally there, buried beneath his hate.

I crouched before him, locking eyes.

"For those who still doubt… watch."

I lowered my voice, sharp and clear, ensuring every single person heard me:

"I am a monster… and I'll show you why I will be your new ruler."

Without hesitation, I transformed—the shift rippling through me as my human skin gave way to thick fur, claws gleaming like blades, my body towering with monstrous strength.

The people gasped, some stepping back in shock—but Bella, Nil, and Fil watched with admiration burning in their eyes.

I lifted Agrest effortlessly with one clawed hand, his body dangling in the air, muffled screams escaping even through the gag.

With a simple, crushing squeeze, his skull imploded in my grip—brain matter splattering, blood raining down the platform.

His body fell limp and lifeless.

The entire crowd froze in stunned silence.

And then, like a dam breaking—the crowd exploded with cheers, their voices shaking the platform with earthquake-like intensity:

"HAIL THE NEW LORD!""LONG LIVE THE WOLF ORDER!"

I grinned wider as the system notifications chimed in my mind:

[You have killed a Level 50 Knight.][You have leveled up.][You have leveled up.][You have leveled up.][You have leveled up.][You have leveled up.][You have leveled up.][You have leveled up.]

[New System Feature Unlocked: Territory Mode Initializing…]

But before I could savor the moment, something unexpected happened—something that shook me to my core.

A blinding light erupted from the sky, enveloping the entire city, washing everything in radiant, otherworldly brilliance.

The cheering stopped.

Mouths hung open.

Eyes widened in terror and awe.

Even I… had not expected this.