Chapter 40 : Evolution of Hwanggu

“Haah…”

The tension drained from me the moment I confirmed Fenrir’s breath had ceased.

With a deep sigh, my body collapsed limply to the floor.

Even the familiars, which had sunk their fangs into Fenrir and were draining his blood, vanished, as if my control over the shadows had dissipated.

“Urgh…”

Letting out a groan, I stood up.

I still had something to do after defeating the boss.

That task was to collect the dropped items.

“Hmm…”

I flipped Fenrir’s massive body back and forth.

I worried for a moment that no item had dropped, but thankfully, there it was — lying in the spot where Fenrir had fallen.

A ring made of a murky silver hue.

It was the item Fenrir had dropped.

Judging by its size, it looked like a bracelet, but I didn’t recall seeing an item like this before.

[Clouded Moonlight]

Level Requirement: 20

Race Restriction: Werewolf, Vampire

Defense +20

Attack +10

Regeneration +60

All Skill Levels +1

A bracelet imbued with the power of a fusion entity.

Ordinary humans cannot wear it.

It was, without a doubt, an unfamiliar item.

Of course, it made sense. Fenrir wasn’t the kind of monster that dropped items in the first place.

I slipped the large bracelet onto my arm.

I had been worried it wouldn’t fit, but like other pieces of armor, it seemed to have an adjustable size function.

In an instant, the oversized bracelet shrank to fit snugly around my slender wrist.

The bracelet’s options were impressive.

While the increase in attack and defense wasn’t something I could feel immediately, the regeneration boost was a different story.

The moment I put the bracelet on, my body began to regenerate at an incredible speed.

The wounds I had sustained during my fight with Fenrir vanished in an instant.

The pale skin of my chest healed over the crimson slash marks, and my twisted leg returned to its original state.

I hadn’t even taken a potion, yet my body was recovering this fast.

With this level of regeneration, even wounds inflicted by silver bullets would heal quickly.

– Tweet, tweet!

I was testing the bracelet’s skill level boost by manipulating the shadows when I heard a familiar chirping sound from above.

Lifting my head slightly, I saw a sparrow fluttering in circles overhead — Chirpy, one of Aurell’s familiars.

It seemed Aurel had sent Chirpy to check on the situation.

When I stretched out my hand, Chirpy landed gently on my finger without hesitation.

“Did Aurel send you?”

– Tweet!

Chirpy chirped in response, full of energy.

I crouched down and dipped my finger into the blood pooling on the ground beneath Fenrir’s body.

When I offered it to Chirpy, the little bird eagerly extended its moist beak and began sipping the blood.

Though Chirpy looked like a small sparrow, he was still a familiar belonging to Aurel.

Of course, that meant this little guy was also a vampire.

After drinking his fill of blood, Chirpy let out a cheerful cry before soaring high into the sky.

If I waited here, Aurel and Hwanggu would likely rush over once Chirpy delivered the situation report.

I glanced at Fenrir’s corpse, lost in thought.

The Familiarization skill wasn’t something that could normally be used on players.

Yet, for some reason, I was able to use it.

Would it be possible to turn boss monsters into familiars, too?

Of course, it was a moot point right now. Fenrir was already dead, so I couldn’t use the skill on him.

But if — just if — another boss appeared in the future, I’d make sure to try using the Familiarization skill on it.

I lay down on the cold, blood-soaked ground.

My body wasn’t physically tired, but mentally, I was completely drained.

For the first time since becoming a vampire, I felt the desire to sleep.

Sorting out the situation didn’t take long.

Since Fenrir had only dropped a single item, there was no time wasted on dividing loot.

There was another reason the other vampires didn’t show any interest in the item.

Their reaction made sense.

Without me, the Fenrir subjugation would have failed.

It was only natural that I, as the one with the highest contribution, took the item.

The toll of this battle was significant — twenty vampires had died in the fight against Fenrir.

Far more than I had anticipated.

If the humans hadn’t launched their surprise attack, that number would have been less than half.

The clan leaders didn’t take issue with my decision to proceed with the Fenrir raid without their input.

It was only because the raid was successful.

If the plan had failed, I would have been in direct conflict with every clan gathered here.

After the raid cleanup was complete and everyone returned to their respective territories, I arranged a new meeting with the clan leaders.

The reason was simple — we needed to uncover the traitor who had leaked information about the raid to the humans.

Once the Fenrir raid party disbanded, I returned to the spot where Fenrir’s corpse lay.

There weren’t any additional dropped items, but I figured stripping the tough hide might come in handy someday.

Slowly, I made my way to the corpse.

But someone else had arrived before me.

The first thing I noticed was a fluffy tail swaying back and forth in the air.

The tail wagged enthusiastically, as if it were trying to hypnotize anyone who saw it.

Hwanggu.

Crunch. Crunch.

A chilling sound reached my ears as I tilted my head, wondering what he was doing.

“Ot?”

Hwanggu, who was crouched in front of Fenrir’s corpse, noticed my presence and turned his head toward me.

His face and both hands were stained bright red.

“Charlotte-nim!”

“What… are you doing?”

“Having a meal!”

Hwanggu answered cheerfully, his face lighting up with a childlike innocence.

I blinked in disbelief.

Hwanggu was eating Fenrir’s corpse.

How voracious was his appetite?

I had only stepped away to meet with the clan leaders for five minutes, yet half of Fenrir’s massive body had already been devoured.

The once-impenetrable hide had been shredded to pieces by Hwanggu’s teeth.

All I could do was stare, dumbfounded, at the scene before me.

“Urp…”

“You enjoying that?”

“Yes!”

Hwanggu let out a loud burp, rubbing her now round and swollen belly.

She looked like she’d eaten so much that her stomach had ballooned — almost resembling a pregnant woman’s belly.

“Can… can you even walk like that?”

“Ugh…”

It seemed she’d eaten too much to even stand properly.

As she tried to get up, Hwanggu gave up halfway, unbuttoned the front of her shorts, and flopped back down on the ground.

In doing so, her strawberry-patterned panties peeked out from beneath her shorts.

Aurel, who had been standing quietly next to me, seemed fascinated by Hwanggu’s bloated belly. Without a second thought, he rushed over and started poking it with his finger.

“Ugh…”

Hwanggu flinched each time Aurel prodded her stomach.

With a curious smile, Aurel began gently patting and rubbing her belly.

I let out a sigh as I watched them.

There was no way I could retrieve Fenrir’s hide now that it had ended up inside Hwanggu’s stomach.

“Charlotte-nim! Look at Hwanggu’s belly!”

Thump! Thump!

Aurel started tapping Hwanggu’s swollen stomach with both hands, clearly amused by how it felt.

The sensation must have been more interesting than he expected.

“Stop it…” Hwanggu whined, pouting, but Aurel refused to give up.

Feeling curious myself, I stepped closer and gently placed my hand on her belly.

Honestly, who wouldn’t be tempted to touch a belly that round and bloated?

Her skin was soft and warm, but beneath it, her stomach was surprisingly firm.

“Ugh…!”

Hwanggu squirmed in embarrassment, letting out another groan.

When my hand touched Hwanggu’s belly, she let out a strange moan and twisted her body.

It must’ve tickled.

Clearing my throat to cover the awkwardness, I sat on the ruins of a collapsed building nearby.

There was no way she could move right now, so I decided to wait until Fenrir’s remains inside her stomach were fully digested.

As time passed, her bloated belly gradually shrank.

She wasn’t growing taller or gaining weight.

Where had all that massive amount of Fenrir meat disappeared to?

I tilted my head, puzzled by the thought.

Then, suddenly—

“Hah…!”

With a gasp, Hwanggu sat up abruptly, her eyes wide.

Then, without warning, she raised her fluffy tail high into the air.

“Hwanggu? Are you okay?”

“Huff… Huff…”

Ignoring my question, Hwanggu suddenly started running in circles.

Like an overexcited puppy, she spun around and around, chasing her own tail.

Was there something wrong with the Fenrir meat she ate earlier?

Feeling concerned, I began to stand.

But just then—

Hwanggu’s body started to change.

“Huff… Huff…!”

Her body grew larger, swelling rapidly.

The hair on her back, which had already been long, extended further, covering her entire body like a cloak.

Her previously fluffy tail grew thicker and longer, swaying powerfully behind her.

“H-Hwanggu…?!”

Aurel, wide-eyed with shock, pointed at Hwanggu, his voice trembling.

“Charlotte-nim…! Hwanggu… she’s…!”

Before our very eyes, Hwanggu was transforming — taking on a monstrous new form.

Her features twisted between human and beast, and the energy radiating from her body grew darker and heavier.

A shiver ran down my spine.

Fenrir’s power wasn’t just inside her… it was merging with her.

Hwanggu’s transformation continued, her form shifting completely into that of a majestic wolf.

No longer the half-human, half-beast hybrid she once was, she now stood as a full-fledged wolf — a creature of pure elegance and power.

Her large paws pressed firmly into the ground, claws digging into the dirt. Her fur looked rough and wild at first glance, but it gleamed with a softness that hinted at a silky texture beneath the surface.

And then there were her ears and tail — both significantly larger than before. Her ears twitched with sensitivity, while her fluffy tail swayed proudly, brushing against the air like a banner of victory.

“Hwanggu evolved…!” Aurel exclaimed, his eyes wide with amazement.

Was it right to call this an evolution?

Something about Fenrir’s meat had triggered this change, that much was certain.

Standing before me now was a massive wolf, one that radiated an aura of strength and wildness.

“Hwanggu…?”

I cautiously called her name, hoping this enormous wolf was still the same Hwanggu I knew.

At the sound of her name, the wolf’s ears perked up, and she immediately wagged her tail so hard it spun like a propeller.

“Woof!”

That happy bark left no doubt.

It was Hwanggu.

The now-massive wolf trotted toward me, pressing her huge body against mine affectionately.

“Hey, hey…!” I stumbled backward, trying to keep my balance.

When she had been a small girl, I could handle her playful nudges. But now?

Hwanggu had grown so large, she was practically the size of a motorcycle.

“Pant, pant…!”

I awkwardly patted her side, feeling the warmth radiating from her thick fur.

“Hwanggu… can you return to your original form?”

At my question, Hwanggu tilted her head to the side, clearly confused.

Then she closed her eyes tightly, her entire body trembling as she concentrated.

It seemed she was trying to change back.

Suddenly, her massive form began to shrink.

It was as though someone had hit the rewind button on her transformation, reversing the entire process.

Before long, the towering wolf was gone, replaced by the familiar, small figure of Hwanggu — warm, soft, and childlike once more.

“Hah…!”

She let out a satisfied sigh, stretching her arms before looking up at me with her usual innocent smile.

“Did I do good, Charlotte-nim?”

I couldn’t help but laugh softly, ruffling her hair.

“Yeah, you did good.”

“I’m back!”

Though she had returned to her human form, Huanggu still had her large ears and fluffy tail.

Seeing her, Aurel seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then, as if struck by a brilliant idea, she raised her hand enthusiastically.

“Charlotte!”

“What?”

“How about riding Huanggu?”

“…Ride Huanggu?”

“Yes! The motorcycle’s out of gas, isn’t it?”

That made me pause for a moment.

She wasn’t wrong. The bike had run out of fuel, so we’d been stuck walking everywhere lately.

Having something to ride would definitely speed things up.

If Huanggu could transform into that huge wolf, she could certainly carry me with ease.

But still…

“M-Me? You want to ride me…?”

Huanggu’s face turned bright red as she fidgeted nervously, glancing at me with wide eyes.

Seeing her like that made me hesitate.

She was small and adorable—how could I possibly ride her?

And she didn’t seem particularly keen on the idea, either.

I let out a deep sigh, ready to decline.

“No, forget it. We don’t have to—”

Before I could finish, Huanggu clenched her eyes shut and blurted out:

“Go ahead! You can ride me as much as you want!”

“…What?”

Her face was completely flushed, and she was panting lightly from the tension.

Aurel, with a mischievous grin, teased from the side.

“If Huanggu’s so eager, you’ve got to ride her, Charlotte.”

“You… Seriously?”

Turning back to Huanggu, I saw her trembling slightly, still keeping her eyes tightly closed as if bracing herself.

She was so ridiculously cute that I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“…Fine. Just once.”

Huanggu’s eyes flew open in surprise.

“Really?”

“Yeah. But if it gets too hard, say something right away.”

Hearing that, Huanggu immediately transformed into her wolf form, her expression brightening with excitement.
“Pant… pant… It’s okay! I’m strong!”

She crouched down and wagged her huge tail, waiting for me to get on.

I hesitated for a moment before carefully climbing onto her back.

The soft fur beneath me felt warm and comfortable, and the ride was surprisingly stable.

“Alright… Let’s give it a try.”

“Woof!”

With a bark of excitement, Huanggu took off at full speed.

The wind rushed past me as we flew across the landscape.

It was faster and smoother than I expected—better than any motorcycle ride I’d ever experienced.

“This… This isn’t bad at all.”

I smiled, enjoying the feel of the wind on my face as the scenery blurred by.

Aurel, running alongside us, called out teasingly:

“Charlotte’s got her own personal mount now! We’ll call it The Wolf Rider!”

“Shut up!”

But, honestly… I kind of liked the sound of that.