Chapter 100
Chloe's POV
After Ivan finished applying the ointment to my wounds, barely any time remained before the month was up.
The hunting trial was almost upon us. I'd expected Frank to intensify the training, to push me through one final sprint of preparation, but instead he gave me a task I never saw coming—accompanying Ivan to Thunder Canyon to gather herbs.
When Frank announced this decision at the training grounds that morning, I stood there completely stunned. Ivan had already prepared everything, standing off to the side with a massive woven basket strapped to his back, his expression so calm you'd think we were just going on an ordinary outing.
"Thunder Canyon?" I couldn't help but repeat the name, my voice carrying undisguised shock. "The same Thunder Canyon where the hunting trial takes place?"
Frank nodded, his expression serious. "That's right. You need to familiarize yourself with the terrain beforehand."
I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end nothing came out.
In my understanding, Thunder Canyon was the Lightning Wolf Pack's proving ground for adult males, a place where storm clouds gathered year-round, filled with ferocious beasts and all manner of dangerous plants.
And now Frank and Ivan were treating such a place like some common herb-gathering spot?
The whole journey, my face remained grim.
Ivan walked beside me, finally unable to hold back. "What are you worried about?"
I took a deep breath and decided to voice my concerns. "Thunder Canyon... from everything I've heard, from everyone's descriptions, it's supposed to be a desolate wasteland crawling with danger and wild beasts. That's exactly why it earned its reputation as a trial ground. Are we... are we really prepared for this?"
Ivan stopped walking and turned to face me.
His eyes gleamed with gentle warmth in the sunlight. "Chloe, some things you shouldn't just take other people's word for. You need to see them with your own eyes, experience them for yourself."
His words made me pause.
I stared at the perpetual storm clouds in the distance, those dark masses forming a thick barrier that sealed off everything inside the canyon from the outside world.
Steeling myself, I followed Ivan toward that unknown territory.
When we passed through the outer layer of storm clouds, I felt as though I'd stepped into another world.
The clouds didn't just block vision—they cut off sound completely. All I could hear was my own heartbeat and Ivan's footsteps on the grass ahead. The air carried a peculiar scent, like fresh earth after rain mixed with some plant fragrance I couldn't name.
Then we entered the heart of the canyon.
The sight before me left me utterly speechless. This was nothing like the savage desolation I'd imagined. Instead, it was a paradise teeming with life. Plants I'd never seen before grew in lush abundance—some blooming with vibrant flowers, others heavy with plump fruit. The air felt fresh and moist, light filtering through the canopy in dappled patterns. I even spotted small animals darting through the undergrowth, looking healthy and lively, nothing like the vicious creatures of legend.
Ivan casually petted a passing deer. The creature nuzzled his palm affectionately before returning to its leisurely grazing.
He turned to me with a smile. "See? Not so scary after all."
He began introducing me to the various plants and herbs. Following his guidance, I carefully started gathering them.
My movements were stiff at first, but gradually I began to relax.
Ivan even encouraged me to pet the deer. I overcame my fear, reaching out to stroke its soft fur. The deer made a gentle sound.
We continued gathering herbs in the canyon at a leisurely pace, the air filled with the fragrance of various plants, birds occasionally flying overhead with crisp calls.
I'd almost forgotten this was supposed to be the dangerous Thunder Canyon of legend.
Just then, a violent disturbance erupted from deep within the forest.
The sound of something smashing into trees, accompanied by heavy breathing and furious roaring, shattered the tranquility.
Ivan's expression instantly turned serious. He signaled for me to stay behind him as we carefully moved toward the source of the noise.
Pushing through dense undergrowth, we witnessed a shocking scene.
A massive stag was ramming a thick tree trunk with its corrupted antlers. Its eyes glowed with an eerie red light, white foam dripping from its mouth, its entire body trembling violently.
Those antlers, which should have been beautiful, were now wrapped in a dark purple magical aura. Each impact made the tree groan in agony.
Crack—
The trunk finally gave way, snapping in two. The massive crown crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The corrupted stag turned its head, locking its gaze on us. The next second, it released a deafening roar and charged straight at us.
"Run!" Ivan shouted, grabbing my hand and pulling me aside.
But the stag was too fast. In almost an instant it caught up with us. I felt a powerful force slam into me from behind, sending me flying. I hit the ground hard. Intense pain made it almost impossible to breathe. I struggled to stand, only to see the stag charging at me again.
In that critical moment, Ivan transformed into his massive black wolf and positioned himself between us.
He collided with the stag, the two behemoths locked in combat.
Ivan sank his teeth into the stag's neck, but the magical barrier prevented him from truly harming it.
I forced myself up through the pain, my mind racing.
We needed to find a way to subdue this corrupted stag, but it was so powerful.
I noticed vines growing all around us. An idea flashed through my mind.
"Ivan!" I shouted. "Lead it toward that grove!"
Ivan seemed to understand my intention. He began deliberately maneuvering the stag toward an area thick with vines.
I quickly climbed a nearby tree, untangling the thick vines and weaving them into a massive noose.
When Ivan led the stag to the designated spot, I used all my strength to throw the vine noose down, catching it perfectly around the stag's neck. Ivan immediately grasped my plan, biting the other end of the vine and pulling with all his might. The stag screamed in pain, thrashing wildly, but the vines only tightened further. I slid down from the tree and joined Ivan in pulling.
With our combined effort, the corrupted stag slowly lost its strength. Its legs began to tremble, the red glow in its eyes gradually dimming.
Finally, the massive creature collapsed to the ground, motionless.
I slumped down, gasping for breath.
Ivan returned to human form and helped me up. "Are you alright?"
"I'm... fine," I managed a weak smile.
Ivan's expression grew grave as he frowned at the dead stag. "Something's wrong. This deer... it's like something bewitched it."
He sniffed the air, then suddenly pointed deeper into the forest. "Do you smell that? There's a strange fragrance."
I sniffed carefully too. Indeed, the air carried an unnaturally sweet floral scent that made me uneasy, as if it were luring something.
We followed the scent, and after pushing through dense undergrowth, the sight before us made us both gasp.
Deep in the forest, a massive Devil's Vine was in full bloom. Its petals were deep purple, the center radiating black miasma. That enticing fragrance emanated from it, and scattered around it lay the corpses of several small animals—clearly lured by the scent and then devoured by the vine.
Ivan said with certainty, "That's what drove the stag mad."
I stared at the flower radiating dark magical energy, a powerful sense of unease rising within me. "This has to be the work of those witches from the Thornwood Forest. I need to report this to the Alpha immediately—"
Before I could finish, a figure suddenly leaped onto a nearby boulder with astonishing speed.
The figure moved so fast it left afterimages, but I could still make out that it was a four-legged creature.
The next second, it opened its mouth and a bolt of lightning shot forth, instantly obliterating the blooming Devil's Vine.
A massive explosion rang out as the vine disintegrated under the lightning strike. The shockwave nearly reached us, but Ivan quickly pulled me behind him, shielding me from most of the impact.
Just as the creature was about to leave, our eyes met for a brief moment.
It was a wolf, yet not quite a wolf.
It had no fur. Instead, pure lightning crackled and danced across its form. The electricity flowed over its body, outlining the shape of a wolf—beautiful and terrifying. Its eyes were pure white, like twin bolts of lightning.
When those eyes locked with mine, I felt a powerful force strike straight into my soul.
Then it turned and leaped away, moving too fast to track.
Ivan quickly jumped onto a higher boulder, then froze completely.
He turned back, his voice filled with shock. "Chloe, you need to come see this."
Fighting through the pain, I climbed onto the boulder.
When I saw what lay before us, I was stunned into silence.
Throughout Thunder Canyon, Devil's Vines bloomed everywhere—dense clusters like malignant growths on the earth.
And that "lightning"—that wolf made of pure electricity—was racing through the canyon, triggering explosion after explosion.
Like a physician lancing boils from diseased flesh, it was trying to purge these evil plants from the land.
But even at such incredible speed, it couldn't keep pace with the rate at which new Devil's Vines bloomed.
"What... what is happening here?" I murmured.
Ivan's expression was graver than I'd ever seen. "This is far worse than we imagined. The entire canyon is being corrupted. If we don't stop this soon, this place will become a true wasteland."
"We have to go back and tell the Alpha!" I said firmly.