Luke and Gideon suited up again—uniforms on, complete with bulletproof vests and helmets. Their microphones and headsets activated.
Lyra assisted in getting the radio communication system running, allowing her and Lena to hear everything Luke and Gideon said in real-time.
Their rifles were fully loaded and ready to fire.
Their mouths and noses were covered with neck buffs—matching the camo pattern on their gear.
Gideon spoke through the side-mounted mic on his helmet, and Lyra gave him a thumbs-up.
"Stay close!" barked Gideon.
"Copy that, Captain!" Luke replied sharply.
Without delay, they entered the forest, keeping tight formation.
Over the radio, Gideon ordered Lena to prep her medical gear.
He feared that black smoke was coming from the wolf village—and where there's smoke, there are casualties.
"Roger, Captain. I'm ready," said Lena.
They moved deeper into the forest, stepping silently—avoiding dry leaves and sticking to the wet grass.
From where they were, Gideon could already hear the sound of screams... and crackling fire.
Luke turned his head, speaking into his mic.
"I hear metal clashing."
"Stay sharp! It's an attack."
"Copy!"
After thirty minutes, Gideon halted—about 500 meters out from the wolf village.
He zoomed in using the scope attached to his helmet's side rails. Luke did the same.
Gideon's suspicion was right.
The village was under attack—by human soldiers in armor.
They outnumbered the wolves badly.
Women and children were injured… some are already dead.
"Cover the right side. Eliminate on approach!" Gideon commanded.
"On it!"
They burst from the treeline and charged into the village chaos.
The wolves were stunned—eyes wide open as they saw humans in strange combat gear entering their village.
"Who are they?!" shouted a female wolf.
Several males turned. The old man among them stared—mouth agape, eyes frozen.
There were now two humans in strange camo uniforms, storming into their village.
"You!" one of the male wolves yelled.
"Open fire!" Gideon ordered.
Gideon and Luke unleashed controlled bursts from their M4s, bullets tearing into the armored invaders.
The wolves stood there, shocked—then turned their eyes forward and watched in awe as the enemy fell.
Clink—clatter! Empty shell casings rained from their rifles.
The wolf elder's jaw dropped—he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Two men in camouflage… Had just taken down dozens of armored soldiers with ease. No hand-to-hand needed.
"Horrifying...!"
"What kind of magic are they using?!"
"Good thing we didn't pick a fight with them yesterday…"
Gideon and Luke's arrival helped the wolfkin defend their home.
Still, Gideon spotted several wounded villagers—they needed immediate aid.
"Luke! Flare!"
"Roger that, Captain!"
Luke stepped back and fired a bright flare into the sky.
The wolves stared upward, watching the glowing beacon.
Gideon used the open channel. "Lena, Lyra—move to our position. Civilian evac required."
Lena and Lyra received the signal and spotted the flare over the trees—pinpointing the village location.
Lyra took the lead. Lena followed.
Luke began rallying the wolves—ordering them to evacuate and seek shelter.
He also told the able-bodied to help fight the fire.
They didn't understand his words, but Luke's gestures and tone were clear.
The male wolves caught on quickly.
They worked together—dousing flames in three burning homes. Meanwhile, Gideon focused on repelling the armored troops.
Eventually, the enemy commander realized they couldn't take the village. He gave the order to fall back.
Gideon watched them retreat—organized, but beaten.
"Enemy retreating. Forward sector secure!" he announced.
"Focus on recovery."
"Copy," Luke and the others replied.
Gideon remained at the village gate, scanning the scorched battleground. A red and yellow flag with a black star fluttered in the wreckage.
'That symbol... A royal insignia?'
Lena arrived and quickly assessed the wounded. Villagers had slash wounds, arrows stuck in them, and burn injuries.
It was heartbreaking—but she knew exactly what to do.
"Lyra! Separate the light and critical casualties!"
"On it!"
Gideon re-entered the village.
Luke was still at it—helping the villagers extinguish the final house fire.
Lena and Lyra treated the wounded with full focus.
Three hours passed.
The situation stabilized.
The fire was out.
The children treated.
Arrow victims—patched up via minor surgery.
Thanks to Lena, lives were saved.
A wide smile crossed her face as she saw recovery setting in.
"Village rescue complete. Well done," said Gideon.
Clap—clap—cheer!
The village erupted in applause and grateful howls.
They'd misjudged these humans… and now, they owed them everything.
The wolf elder stepped forward, kneeled, and let out a long, echoing howl.
All the villagers joined in.
It was their highest form of thanks.
Gideon smiled—unsure how to respond.
But as a soldier who fought for justice, this was simply his duty.
Luke walked up, pulled down his neck buff, and joked,
"You think we should howl back?"
"If you wanna become a wolf, knock yourself out."
Lyra approached Gideon with a report.
"Captain—wound count: 12 minor, 7 critical. Lena's handling the rest."
Gideon nodded. He trusted Lena—no need to interfere.
"We don't know what's coming next. Stay alert."
"No sudden moves," Gideon warned.
"Yes, Captain."
Slowly, communication with the wolfkin improved.
Gideon didn't speak their language—but used hand signs. Some of them caught on.
From the village's edge, he spotted a river—its flow strong and steady.
'Perfect for a water turbine.'
He walked there, accompanied by a male wolf who introduced himself earlier—Bian.
Gideon called him by name. Bian turned. That was it—Bian.
Lyra followed them to the riverbank. She crouched, testing the water's flow.
It was strong—ideal for spinning a waterwheel and generating static power for her laptop.
"This spot is perfect. I estimate 15 liters per second flow—enough to turn a small turbine."
"Is that enough to charge your laptop?" Gideon asked.
"It should be."
"I've drawn up a blueprint. But I'll need some extra materials."
"Luke and I will get them," Gideon said.
Bian made a gesture—lying down, then pointing to the ground.
Gideon narrowed his eyes, trying to figure it out.
Lyra nodded, interpreting for him.
"He's offering us a place to stay."
"Is that so?"
"What do you think?" Lyra asked.
"If they're okay with it... I'll accept."
"At least now we have a foothold in this world—while we figure out how to leave it," Gideon replied.
Lyra cleared her throat and called Luke over—ordering him to break down their tent and bring their supplies to the village.
Gideon stayed behind with Bian. Suddenly, a girl approached—carrying a book.
It was the same girl he'd saved the day before.
She handed him the book, and he took it. Inside—it contained writing, along with pronunciation guides.
"She's… trying to teach me their language?" Gideon muttered.
He flipped through the pages. It was thick and well-structured.
'No idea how long it'll take to become fluent…'
But this book?
It was worth more than gold.
With their language in hand, he could gather vital intel for the team.
"Thank you."