Mage And Wolf
Chapter 297

Chapter 297: Chapter 297

I searched every likely hiding spot I passed, finding that almost all of them were occupied by one or more former slaves. At this rate, we’ll have to go door to door for weeks to find everyone. Most of the residents, both Titan and otherwise are terrified after the destruction. The only saving grace is that the undead died peacefully after the initial effects of the energy surge though the collars wore off, I could feel them passing through the Soul Shrine.

There’s something odd about that underworld realm though. I look in from time to time during cultivation to better understand death and how the souls adapt to it, but lately the plain gray purgatory has been changing, gaining details. It’s still a bleak and colorless place, but instead of a foggy void, it now has some trees and a bench. Not much, but not something I expected.

I think about it all through that day and the following night as I hunt for more survivors to send to the staging areas. When the entrance through the shrine first opened, it was an empty limitless space. Now there are souls there to observe, though the space is so vast it still feels sparse. The possibility that the afterlife is a very different experience depending who you’re collected by occurs to me, but exploring that will have to wait until I can properly cultivate.

By morning search parties with bullhorns are going around calling everyone out into the open and most of the Titans have been evacuated. As the former rulers of this place, they felt much less need to hide than most.

As for my bet with the Lycans, we realized almost immediately after starting that we had no way to communicate. Without a way to communicate, there was no way to determine who won. But the game was far too fun to end, and I can say for certain that if any Bunnies remain in this city they are very, very good at hiding.

The armies cleared out the training centres in the surrounding wilderness late last night, finding even more damning evidence in the form of Nephilim slaves still unaware of the events in the city. It’s a good thing for the Titans that they struck the deal, because many of the Nephilim that were recovered were travelers that were kidnapped in the Immortal Planes, and the Nephilim Councils of their home Planes are feeling particularly murderous.

The councils present on this planet intend to keep the gateways open for another month, in case some were still hiding throughout the city, but by the end of today we should be almost done. Once the evacuation is done, the planet will be mostly empty, as there are no other major cities here, only a few cultivation sects full of Titans, which have been thoroughly searched and do not keep any slaves.

That brings me to the next problem. Where is Karl? He’s not here, that’s for certain. Wherever he is feels like it has people and he’s not feeling threatened, but I don’t even know how to start looking for him. I’ve contacted Elder Song and Lelou, who are going to go together to look for him, but they haven’t located him yet either.

"Would you like to accompany us to the wedding while your friends search for your mate? It’s still a few weeks away, but you can come back and visit the Divine Planes for a while first." Beta John suggests at the end of the second day.

"You know what? Sure. I’ll let my Companions know where to find me and I’ll head back with you. I could use some time to relax and work on my Alchemy anyhow, and the distraction might help. I know a really great pill that I’d love to give to the Titan Royals as a wedding gift."

Beta John gives me a mischievous smile and takes my hand, leading me back towards the camp where the command groups have set up.

The Lycan camp has a suspiciously high level of excitement. I know they had a lot of fun hunting Bunnies these past few days, in fact some of the ones they found are still here, cleaning and cooking, but that doesn’t account for the energy level.

"Spill. What’s got everyone so excited?" I finally ask, unable to resist any longer.

"Did you meet Leanne? Alpha Kurgan’s daughter with the tattoos on the sides of her head? She found her mate in one of the other pack’s forces." I shake my head no, I’ve never met her, but smile at the chance to play the game again.

"So, who is the lucky suitor? When do you think they’ll come for her?" I ask eagerly and all the Lycans around burst into laughter.

"Come for her? Oh no, her mate is Alpha Marcus’s youngest son and she wants him to join her in our pack. We’re not allied packs, so he took the boy home until a deal can be reached about a pack transfer for the mates. We’re going for him tonight after we return. Leanne didn’t have the patience to wait for that timid boy." Beta John informs me quietly, the information hidden from prying ears by the laughter.

I wonder if the other Alpha has any idea that he’s about to have the tables turned on him? Even if we’re currently searching for where my mate went, I don’t want to miss the look on his face when we steal his son.

Beta John escorts me into a tent so we can speak in privacy. "You’ll be with the strike force if you’re going. Since it’s reversed, the Ladies will get the honor of going in first this time. Here’s the basic plan."

They’ve got a good diagram of the other packs defenses, which include patrols, a variety of barriers and stun traps. The barriers can be brute force opened if necessary, but the stun traps often catch a large portion of the attacking force.

"If I can offer a suggestion, I’m very good with the stun traps, and I’m in the Immortal Realm now, so why don’t I go with the vanguard instead? I’ll drop as many of the traps in the yard and pack house as I can, so Leanne and her team can follow me in if I’m successful while I block for their retreat?"

A Death Priestess is an unknown element to most Alphas, they’ll expect us to need either extreme stealth or to get a large force into the yard before anyone can breach the house. If I neutralize the stun traps, which are made using a form of death energy like the shadow grenades, the strike force will be able to charge right away.