What Richard didn't know was that ever since he appeared in front of the palace, news of his arrival had already spread throughout the entire capital.

People might not have talked about him for a long time, but no one had forgotten his name—his achievements as a child were too remarkable to fade away.

And today, he had finally transformed into a full-grown man.

Many were curious about what Richard looked like now, and when he stepped out of the palace, he was surprised to find a huge crowd outside the courtyard.

They had gathered there just to see him. Some were even sketching his appearance right on the spot.

Unprepared for such attention, Richard chose to leave quickly—this time using his flying ark instead of flying on his own.

He didn't hesitate to consume a large number of Nature Spirits to maximize the ark's speed, shortening his journey significantly.

Red Star Empress Village.

When he arrived there again, what he found was no longer a village filled with grand castles, but ruins and collapsed structures.

Seeing it in such a state, Richard couldn't help but feel sorrow for the Red Star Empress, whom he regarded as a wise consort.

His flying ark descended into the deserted village, and he saw no one around.

It was hard to believe that beneath this place lay an enormous underground prison.

Whoosh!

Richard leapt toward a well that looked small from the outside and contained no water—only darkness and thin air.

Lilith had told him this was the entrance, so he jumped right in.

His body plummeted at incredible speed, and he even chose to accelerate his descent.

BANG!

He landed hard on a concrete floor.

In front of him was a staircase leading further down.

He started descending the long staircase—about two hundred meters—until he reached a vast basement.

His eyes flickered in awe as he looked around; it was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

The entire floor of the basement was filled with cracks, revealing that it was actually the upper part of a gigantic cage.

Inside, Richard saw nothing but piles of giant skeletons—no sign of life remained.

He descended into the cage, which was divided into many chambers.

After some exploration, he noticed a tunnel below.

Whoosh!

He moved toward it and entered.

It wasn't dark, nor was it particularly long.

There, Richard saw Lilith standing motionless—like a statue—in front of a wolf shackled by chains on its arms and legs.

This wolf was different; its body resembled that of a human, marking it as a werewolf.

Of course, that was only its partial form—its true nature was still that of a beast.

Its fur shimmered in a mix of silver and gold, gleaming beautifully, yet even in its calm state, the aura it released was oppressively terrifying.

Fortunately, its eyes were tightly closed, as if in deep slumber.

Although this werewolf was technically his uncle, Richard found it hard to feel any familial connection while looking at him in such a form.

"Do you have a plan, boy?" Lilith suddenly asked, her gaze fixed on him.

Though she needed focus, a brief conversation wouldn't interfere.

"Sister Lilith, what would happen if a Slave Seal were placed on him?" Richard asked in return.

"His primal instincts would reject it, even if it meant his death," Lilith replied.

"So that's not a good idea," Richard muttered.

Their goal wasn't merely to subdue him—but to save him, or perhaps gain benefit from the Alpha Werewolf's power.

"In short, conventional methods won't work."

"What about the Blood Devourer Arcane Art?" Richard asked next.

Rather than using it immediately, he decided to discuss it with Lilith first.

The woman was visibly taken aback upon hearing that, giving him a strange look.

"You've mastered it?" she asked.

"Of course. If I use the Heavenly Water's power, I should be able to match this Werewolf's level," Richard answered.

"You're sure you want to use it?" Lilith asked, to which Richard only responded with a faint smile.

Lilith thought he meant using the Heavenly Water itself—something that would cost him his greatest life-saving trump card.

But in truth, he would only consume its energy.

Though replenishing it was difficult, he had no issue doing so. The infinite regeneration of the Heavenly Water was what truly mattered.

"I'll give it a try," Richard said softly.

He could feel the hidden energy of the Heavenly Water within him—far greater than his own strength.

With a thought, he drew that energy into his body.

Buzz!

A golden light erupted from him, releasing such immense pressure that Lilith instinctively stepped back.

Although it was external power, it didn't throw his aura into chaos. It was perfectly controlled—no explosions, no erratic phenomena.

Richard continued to radiate golden light. His form didn't change at all.

The only difference was the power he now felt surging through him.

He wasn't sure how many times stronger he had become—only that it was beyond imagination.

Richard raised his hand toward the werewolf before him.

Blood streamed from his fingertips, forming the head of a monstrous creature with a wide, gaping maw clearly meant to devour.

Whoosh!

It swallowed the werewolf whole.

Richard frowned slightly afterward.

He tried to draw the werewolf's blood. When he had done so with Sterling, it was easy.

But this time, even with his drastically increased strength, he found the werewolf's blood as solid and heavy as fused steel—impossible to pull out.

Is this Werewolf still far stronger than me? Richard wondered.

BANG!

Moments later, the blood construct exploded as Richard ran out of Heavenly Water energy—it couldn't last long.

His aura returned to normal, the golden light around him fading away.

There were no side effects. Richard didn't even feel weak—only part of his Aether had been drained.

Still, he couldn't help but feel frustrated by his failure.

"It seems there's no other way," Lilith said calmly, unsurprised.

Clearly, she hadn't expected much to begin with.

And Richard couldn't say anything in response.

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