Vivianne crept beneath the window outside Oswald’s bed and crouched beside a small heap of dry leaves.
This was where her brilliant plan would begin.
[Fire Lv. 1]
A tiny flame appeared above her fingertip.
Tiny.
Really tiny.
That was it?
Vivianne had expected something magnificent.
A roaring Phoenix flame.
Blazing pillars.
A huge explosion.
Maybe enough fire to light up the entire forest.
Instead, she had produced a pathetic little flicker barely larger than a matchstick.
“Damn,” she muttered.
“Even a lighter is better than my magic.”
A gust of wind snuffed it away from her fingertip.
“Again.”
She summoned another flame and carefully touched it to the leaves.
This time, the pile caught, producing a weak little fire and an impressive amount of smoke.
“Perfect.”
It wasn’t.
Actually that was barely more than a pathetic flicker.
But technically, it counted as fire.
Vivianne hurried to the window and called, “Oswald! Wake up!”
A few seconds later, the door opened.
Oswald appeared.
His blue hair was like a bird’s nest and his eyes still half-closed.
“What?”
Vivianne pointed dramatically toward the smoking pile.
“Fire!”
Oswald stared at the flames through half-lidded eyes, looking like he was one second away from going back to bed.
“That’s a pile of leaves.”
“Burning leaves!!”
His expression remained completely blank.
Vivianne subtly waved at Ophelia.
Go.
Ophelia slipped away into the darkness as her brother extinguished Vivianne’s grand distraction in less than three seconds.
The world’s most pathetic emergency vanished instantly.
Oswald glanced back at Vivianne.
“Go back to bed.”
“But—”
“It’s just three leaves.”
He turned and went back inside.
Vivianne stood there, deeply offended.
Her brilliant plan had lasted approximately thirty seconds.
Still, it worked.
[Side Quest: A Wolf’s Heart – Completed]
[Objective: Help Ophelia pursue her true love without letting her overprotective brother interfere.]
[Reward: 50,000 Gold + 15% Evolution Points]
She glanced toward the forest where Ophelia had disappeared.
“You’re welcome.”
Then she quietly returned to the den.
The next morning, Vivianne woke to the sound of a horn.
“What the hell?”
Multiple horns blared as panicked screams erupted outside. The source of this chapter is g.com.
Vivianne shot out of bed as frantic shouts erupted outside.
An orange glow flickered through the window, staining the den walls as thick smoke curled into the sky.
“Enemy!”
“Protect the village!”
“Get the pups inside!”
Beastmen shouted outside as hurried footsteps thundered past the den.
The ground suddenly shook beneath her feet.
Vivianne scrambled toward the entrance.
Oswald was already there.
But the sleepy, mildly annoyed wolf from last night was gone.
His entire expression had changed.
His body was tense, his green eyes sharp, and dark energy stirred around him like it was responding to his anger.
“Stay here.”
Vivianne frowned.
“What happened?”
“We’re under attack.”
Oswald rushed into the chaos immediately.
He helped to evacuate his pack.
His eyes kept darting toward the village entrance, his expression growing more anxious by the second.
He was clearly worried about Ophelia.
But before Vivianne could help him, a small wolf pup came sprinting from the smoke.
“Mommy!”
The little girl crashed into Vivianne’s legs, sobbing.
“Mommy! Mommy is trapped! Our house fell down, and my baby brother is still inside!”
Vivianne immediately crouched and pulled her into her arms.
“Hey, hey. Don’t cry. I got you. We’ll find her, okay?”
BOOM!
Another explosion shook the village.
The pup shrieked and buried her face against Vivianne’s chest.
Beastmen rushed past carrying children and the injured as shouts to evacuate rang through the village.
Smoke thickened the air, and flames crept closer to the houses.
Vivianne’s gaze darted toward the burning village.
Shit.
Did I really have to do this?
She had only wanted to help a girl elope.
How the hell had that turned into a war?!
The little pup wailed harder.
A trapped mother.
A baby brother.
A burning house.
Vivianne tightened her hold on the trembling pup.
There was no one else coming.
She glanced toward the flames.
“Oh, shit. Here we go.”
Vivianne ran through the smoke with the little pup clinging tightly to her neck.
The pup pointed toward a cluster of houses deeper in the village.
Smoke rolled between the buildings, while flames flickered behind the rooftops.
Vivianne tightened her grip and hurried after her, ducking beneath a falling branch as another explosion rumbled somewhere beyond the village gates.
“I’m coming! Just keep holding on!”
They finally reached a house—or what was left of it.
Half of the wooden structure had collapsed.
Broken beams and chunks of timber covered the entrance, while smoke poured through the gaps.
“Mommy!” The little girl struggled in Vivianne’s arms.
“Stay here. Don’t move. I’ll get her.”
Vivianne grabbed the nearest beam and pulled.
It barely moved.
“Seriously?”
She planted both feet against the ground and pulled harder.
The beam shifted with a loud crack, and Vivianne dragged it aside before immediately reaching for another piece of broken timber.
One by one, she cleared enough debris to expose a narrow gap beneath the collapsed roof.
Then she heard crying.
“Someone’s alive!”
Vivianne dropped to her knees and reached into the gap.
“Can you hear me?”
“Yes!” a strained voice answered.
“My children…”
“Your daughter is outside with me. I’m getting you out.”
Vivianne pushed away another broken plank and finally saw the woman trapped beneath part of the collapsed roof.
The mother had one arm wrapped around a tiny wolf pup, who was crying so hard his little face had gone red.
“Give him to me first.”
The mother hesitated.
“Please. I can get him somewhere safe.”
With trembling hands, she passed the little pup through the opening.
Vivianne immediately pulled him into her arms, and the little boy whimpered as he grabbed a fistful of her dress.
“Got you.”
She turned and handed him to his older sister.
The little girl immediately hugged her baby brother against her chest.
“Hold him tight.”
The pup nodded furiously.
Vivianne turned back toward the wreckage.
“Now let’s get your mother out.” She pushed herself into the narrow opening and grabbed the woman’s arm.
She pulled with all her strength.
The beastwoman cried out as Vivianne dragged her free from beneath the broken beams, then collapsed onto her knees, coughing violently.
Vivianne caught her before she fell completely.
The beastwoman swayed for a moment but she quickly recovered when the little girl clung to her mother while the baby boy sniffled against her.
“Thank the heavens. I can’t thank you enough for helping me and my children, Lady Phoenix.”
Vivianne smiled.
“Just keep them safe, okay?”
The mother nodded and gathered both children closer.
“Come. We need to go.”
“Bye!” Vivianne shouted.
“Be careful and stay away from the gates.”
The little girl waved over her mother’s shoulder.
“Bye, Lady Phoenix!”
Vivianne watched the three of them disappear into the smoke before turning away.
She had barely taken a step when a massive wolf beastman suddenly lunged from the smoke, straight toward the little girl.
“LOOK OUT!”
The little girl froze.
Vivianne didn’t think.
She sprinted forward and wrapped both arms around the child, pulling her tightly against her chest.
The wolf beastman swung his sword.
Vivianne threw herself in front of the little girl, but the blade slashed her across the back.
Pain exploded through her as blood splattered across the little girl’s face.
“AHHHHH!”
Vivianne staggered, but she refused to let go.
Warm blood quickly soaked through the back of her dress.
The wolf beastman snarled and raised his sword again, the blade gleaming through the smoke.
This time, he aimed straight for Vivianne’s neck.