After storing all of the wolf corpses inside my [Item Box], we continued following Bolt on his relentless gate-clearing tour. We stayed alert, but Bolt and the golems dealt with multiple packs of wolves almost effortlessly. Within an hour, I hit level 7 and distributed my free points evenly again.
[Name: Xavier Black]
[Job: Seven Pillars][
Level: 7 — XP: 321/482]
{Stats}
{Strength: 23}
{Vitality: 24}
{Agility: 23}
{Mana: 22}
{Magic: 22}
[Free Points: 0]
In just under ninety minutes, my [Item Box] was stacked with 32 ordinary wolf corpses and 15 Thunder Wolf bodies. Even after using several during Bolt's creation, I still had 25 regular wolf genomes and 5 Thunder Wolf genomes left.
I use [Genome Distillation] to condense five ordinary wolf genomes into higher-quality material.
[Genome Distillation Success: Wolf Genome (Rank E) – Purity: 50%]
I repeat the process with the Thunder Wolf samples.
[Genome Distillation Success: Thunder Wolf Genome (Rank D) – Purity: 25%]
As we trek deeper into the gate, Hinata surprises me with a conversation I hadn't expected.
"I'm really happy you can defend yourself now," she says, breaking a long silence. "If I'm honest, I never mentioned it, but I used to worry about you constantly."
I glanced at her. "I figured as much, but thanks for not opposing me entering the gates."
"I never thought of demanding you stop," she replies, biting her lip. "But... I've definitely been holding myself back. I always tried to keep things casual between us, because I was scared. Scared you'd die in a gate someday."
"And now?"
"Well, now that you're strong enough to hold your own, and since that ridiculous harem pillar showed up, I think we should finally talk about us."
I raised an eyebrow. "Is that why you've been refusing to stay over the last few days?"
"Exactly," she admitted, looking away. "After this gate, we should open a bottle of wine and talk. Really talk."
The wasteland around us gradually gives way to something more macabre: a boneyard. Scattered across the dusty plain were the gnawed remains of creatures I'd never seen before, massive ribs, broken tusks, and jagged spines stretching across the ground like a graveyard with no order.
Then, in the distance, something catches my eye.
A grey mound, surrounded by gleaming mana stones. At first glance, it looks like a hill of fur, motionless and ominous.
But as we approach, it stirs.
It isn't a hill.
It is a wolf.
A gigantic one.
Its matted, blood-streaked fur reeks of rot. Scars lace its flanks like crude battle maps. It doesn't even bother to groom itself; this beast lives only to kill and feed.
Its head lifts slowly. Then, those blazing red eyes lock onto us. It growls.
And then it moves.
The earth rumbles.
A deep, guttural howl tears through the silence, so loud it sends birds scattering from the distant cliffs. It charges forward, each step pounding into the dirt like falling meteors.
"That thing is massive," Hinata mutters. "It's more like a siege engine than an animal."
I steady myself and issue the commands.
With thunderous footsteps, my six Earth Golems form up, each one a towering slab of living stone. They move with mechanical precision, setting up a defensive arc around us.
Beside them, Bolt, the Stormhowl Goblin, crackles into view in a burst of blue energy. He crouches low, silver-streaked fur rising with anticipation. His sharp yellow eyes narrow at the alpha.
The beast doesn't wait.
It surges forward with terrifying speed, tearing up the ground beneath it. It slams into the front line like a boulder shot from a cannon, flinging two golems aside with a crash. One shatters instantly, stone chunks flying like shrapnel.
"One down already!" I hiss, and hurl a short spear with practiced precision.
The spear strikes the wolf's flank, drawing blood and a guttural snarl. Not much damage, but it gets its attention.
The remaining golems close in. Two target its legs, punching and swinging swords, another climbs onto its back, battering its spine with stone fists.
The alpha thrashes, launching the rider into the air. Another golem gets flattened under its massive paw, while a third is hurled into a nearby boulder, crumbling on impact.
Three down.
"Bolt! Now!"
The goblin explodes into motion. A blur of silver and blue, he sprints along the skeleton of a long-dead creature, then leaps, claws extended, eyes glowing. He lands atop the alpha's shoulders.
Lightning surges from his claws.
The alpha jerks and howls as electricity courses through its skull. It snaps at Bolt, but the goblin dodges effortlessly, vaulting backward just before the jaws clamp shut.
I launch another spear, aiming higher this time.
The weapon buries itself in the beast's left eye. The wolf rears up in pain, blinded and thrashing wildly. One of the remaining golems drives a stone fist into its ribs, bones cracking under the pressure.
From the rising dust, Bolt reappears, his claws glowing, his eyes narrowed.
He flings a bolt of lightning at the embedded spear. The surge travels through the weapon and deep into the alpha's skull. The creature convulsed violently.
It stumbles.
I recall my spear and yell, "NOW, FINISH IT!"
Bolt obeys.
In a flash, he scales the alpha again, sinks his claws into its neck, and unleashes another jolt directly into the beast's spine.
The wolf spasms, then falls like a collapsing tower, its massive body hitting the earth with a deafening boom.
[Slain: Dire Wolf Alpha – Level 10 – +200 XP]
Bolt lands beside the corpse, breathing softly, sparks still flickering around his claws. Unharmed. Alert.
I jog up, heart still pounding.
"You didn't take a single hit," I mutter, awestruck. "You're a beast... in more ways than one."
Hinata catches up, glancing over the carnage. "Three golems down, but that thing never even touched your goblin. I'm starting to think he's stronger than you."
I laugh, not denying it.
"Maybe. But that's the point of building something like this."
I look at Bolt. His mane sparks gently under the setting light.
"Good job, Bolt."
He looks up at me, eyes glowing. Then he growls, a quiet, crackling sound of acknowledgment.
The boss is dead. The gate is ours
-----------------------
Bonus chapter goals !!!
25 Power stones - 1 bonus chapter
50 Power stones - 3 bonus chapters
100 Power stones - 5 bonus chapters