The demon spoke in a ragged whisper:
"That… is the water blade… of a legendary warrior.
A mad demon… killed my clan.
With that water blade… I wanted to kill him… and avenge my brothers.
His name… is Wildfire.
Soon… you will meet him too.
Please… kill that madman… in my place…"
Andrea's eyes narrowed.
"Wildfire? Is he one of the Demon Generals?"
Za Balog could no longer answer.
His gaze dimmed, his body slackened.
"I'm sorry… my brothers…
I could not… avenge you…"
His final words faded between the stones.
Andrea grabbed his shoulder and shook him.
"Answer me! Is Wildfire one of the Demon Generals?!"
Noelle slowly shook her head.
"He's gone. He won't answer."
Andrea slammed the Wolf Fang into the ground in frustration.
"Damn it!
We could've gotten more information about the Demon King!"
Noelle stepped closer, cautiously.
"He was surprisingly talkative.
Maybe because of his revenge… against that Wildfire."
Andrea took a deep breath, then looked up at the sealed gate.
"Wildfire, huh?
I really hope he is one of the Demon Generals…
because Za Balog was roughly as strong as Christina.
Any demon stronger than him is far above the Captain level."
Noelle nodded.
"Let's report the situation to Young Wolf.
But first, I'll open this gate."
Noelle stepped toward the gate and raised her magic staff—
A few minutes earlier
(Young Wolf and Fireburp – at the other gate)
While Andrea and Noelle were approaching Za Balog, Young Wolf and Fireburp had already reached the third level.
The elevator's creaking chains slowly fell silent behind them.
The passage was cool, ancient runes glowing faintly along the walls.
The light‑orb flowers grew more sparsely here, but still gave enough light to see the end of the corridor.
Fireburp looked around nervously.
"This place… it feels ancient."
Andras nodded.
"This must be Andrasa Wolfwood's burial chamber.
Andrea and Noelle are approaching it from the other side.
We'll enter from here."
After a few more steps, they reached the second gate.
It was protected by the same water‑shield as the one on the opposite side.
The runes pulsed with blue light, as if alive.
Fireburp touched the gate — and was immediately thrown back by a wave of water energy.
"Ow! That stings!"
Andras smiled.
"This is a water‑ and ice‑magic seal.
Only a water mage can open it… or someone who understands rune mechanics.
Fortunately, I studied rune magic.
Not much… but enough."
Fireburp looked at him excitedly.
"So you can open it?"
Andras stepped to the gate and ran his hand along the runes.
"I'll try.
But first… something is happening on the other side."
Dull impacts echoed from behind the gate.
As if someone — or something — was pounding on it.
Fireburp flinched.
"That… that sounded like a demon!"
Andras nodded.
"Yes.
The Fire Demon is already there.
He's heading toward Andrea and Noelle.
We need to hurry."
The runes flared under Andras's touch.
The gate slowly began to react.
The Gate Opens
The gate opened with a low, deep hum as Andras activated the water rune.
The water‑shield dissolved, revealing the burial chamber before them.
The chamber was enormous — far larger than any single tomb should have been.
Ancient runes glowed along the walls, and the blue light of the light‑orb flowers cast a mystical radiance across the room.
Fireburp looked around.
"The gate opened. No skeletons."
Andras stepped further inside.
"This is a huge chamber for a single tomb.
Look… there's the sword!
Right in front of the sarcophagus.
It's practically begging me to pull it from the stone."
The rune blade indeed stood there, half‑embedded in the stone, as if waiting for its heir.
The blade glowed with an icy blue light, ancient dwarf runes shining along the hilt.
Andras approached it.
He reached out to touch it—
Then suddenly stopped.
The Magic Eye flared.
For a moment, the future opened before him.
If I pull the sword, the sarcophagus will open…
and a Death Knight will appear.
Andrasa Wolfwood.
The first Wolfwood's soul has not found peace.
Andras withdrew his hand.
Fireburp stared at him in confusion.
"You're not pulling the sword?"
Andras nodded slowly.
"I will. But first, I want to try something."
He took out his knife and cut one of the fingers on his left hand.
He let his blood drip onto the rune blade.
The air in the chamber shifted.
The runes flared.
The light‑orb flowers brightened.
Andras straightened, his voice filling the burial chamber:
"My name is Andras Wolfwood, young lord of the House of Wolfwood.
My dear ancestor, legend and pride of our house…
Beautiful and mighty warrior maiden, Andrasa Wolfwood…
I have come to you, blood of your blood, to ask for your blessing in the battles against the Demon Army.
The time has come.
The Demon King has awakened…
Then let your spirit awaken as well, and guide us toward victory!"
The sarcophagus trembled.
The lid slowly shifted.
Fireburp jumped back.
"Oh no… is the Death Knight coming?!"
But no.
This time, it was not a terrifying undead rising from the stone.
It was a shining, pure soul.
The form of a female knight materialized — long hair, wolf‑crested armor, and the spectral image of her rune blade in her hand.
Her beauty and strength were both awe‑inspiring and fearsome.
Andrasa Wolfwood — the She‑Wolf — had finally awakened.
The spirit slowly lifted her head and looked at Andras.
Her voice was clear as ringing ice.
"Blood of my blood…
Wolf of the Wolf…
I welcome you, Young Wolf."
The She‑Wolf Awakens
The lid of the sarcophagus slid aside, and instead of a terrifying Death Knight rising from within, the burial chamber filled with light.
From the radiance, the form of a female knight took shape — a pure, shining soul, as if moonlight itself had taken form.
Her long hair drifted around her shoulders, and the wolf‑head crest on her armor glowed faintly.
Her gaze was gentle and terrifyingly strong at the same time.
Andrasa Wolfwood.
The She‑Wolf.
Founder of the House of Wolfwood.
The spirit smiled at Andras.
Andras bowed respectfully.
"As a spirit, you look far better than you would as a Death Knight, my dear ancestor."
Andrasa smiled softly.
"The Death Knight is the doom of intruders.
I could not greet my precious descendant in such a form."
Andras's thoughts raced:
Of course… without the blood ritual, she would have seen me as an intruder too.
A Death Knight is nearly as strong as an elite demon.
And with Andrasa… I can easily imagine her reaching the level of a Demon General in that form.
I'm almost relieved I didn't have to fight her.
Andras straightened.
"What great regret kept your soul bound to this world?"
Andrasa's expression darkened.
"Many fine warriors died fighting the Demon King.
The Hero… and the members of the Hero's party… all of them were better swordsmen than I.
I survived only because I was not chosen to join the Heroes."
Her voice trembled.
"My comrades died.
And I received a noble title from the king.
Since they called me the She‑Wolf, I founded the House of Wolfwood and the Order of the Wolf Knights.
I spent the rest of my life hunting the remnants of the demons.
I lived long… and died old in my bed."
The spirit lowered her head.
"But the regret never left my soul.
No matter how many demons I killed.