Published at 3rd of February 2026 6:53 am

Chapter 1709 The Elusive Alpha

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The appearance of the words [Final Quest] was rewarding for all of them in a way. It served as a long-awaited confirmation that all the blood, sweat, and tactical maneuvering they had put into this world really did lead to something. Throughout their time in this past era, a part of them had constantly wondered whether they should just blindly trust the system's prompts or if they were merely being led deeper into a trap.

At the same time, the moral weight of their actions was driving Kai crazy. He was a man who preferred to know the exact consequences of his moves, and the ambiguity of doing the "right" or "wrong" thing in a historical simulation was a heavy burden. Gary could tell that Kai felt a massive sense of relief just seeing another quest pop up on the interface. It meant they hadn't hit a dead end.

The previous quest, [Save the Red Wing Kingdom], had been particularly stressful because the parameters were so vague. They didn't even know what "saving" the kingdom truly meant. Did it mean if a single human individual had died, they would have failed? Did it mean the entire city had to be saved from total annihilation?

It made them think: what would have happened if they weren't there to intervene? Without them to warn Jack and the others about the inevitable curse that was coming, the kingdom would have been blindsided. If this was a true recreation of the past, did the original timeline end in a massacre? Although Bluebird and his knights were strong, Gary couldn't imagine them being enough to hold back the combined, uncontrolled fury of Jack, Steve, and the entire pack. It was a dark thought, but one not worth dwelling on for too long. They needed to stay focused on the objective.

The issue was, never in a hundred years did they think they would struggle with a quest as simple as "Speak to Jack Dem." They had spoken to him countless times already. It seemed like the easiest task the system could possibly give them.

Originally, after the sun rose and the transformation was broken, they considered cornering him immediately. However, Jack was in the middle of a disaster zone. He was tending to the wounded, organizing the survivors, and trying to manage the grief of those who had lost pack members. There simply didn't seem to be a right time to butt in with their own questions. Even when he had finished the immediate cleanup, he had met up with his wife, Lilly. He appeared completely drained, looking like a man who just wanted to rest and find a moment of peace.

It was understandable. No matter how many times Gary, Kai, and Lupus told themselves this world was fake or just a memory, they couldn't see it that way anymore. The emotions were too real, the blood was too warm, and the stakes felt life-or-death. If they only had to wait one more day to speak to him, it wouldn't matter much in the grand scheme of things, considering how long they had already been stuck there.

When the next day arrived, the three of them were ready. They knew that after this last conversation, they could be sent back to the present at any moment. They wondered what they would find. Would they appear at the exact moment they disappeared? Would they appear in some random location, or would the time they spent here have passed in the real world as well? They had to be ready for anything—ready to intervene in a war that might still be ongoing, or to face the consequences of whatever had happened while they were gone.

They reached Jack’s office and pushed the door open after hearing a familiar voice tell them to come in. But when they stepped inside, they were met with a surprise.

“Uhh... Where’s Jack?” Gary asked, looking around the room.

The man behind the desk wasn't the legendary Alpha. Instead, it was Galdark.

“I thought you guys would be here to see him,” Galdark said, leaning back in the chair. “Unfortunately, he’s been called out to an emergency meeting with the council. You see, the people are incredibly worried after what happened last night. It was an unprecedented event—an attack on that scale from the werewolves they’ve lived side-by-side with for years.”

Galdark sighed, looking a bit exhausted himself. “There was already a large amount of people who were against the idea of werewolves being in the kingdom, and as usual, politics gets in the way. There are those in the council who just want to win votes by looking like they’re ‘doing something’ for the people. Others are just looking to weaken the opposition's position. Since council seats can be replaced if someone gets enough votes, it’s good for some to try and turn everyone against Jack to serve their own ends.”

The council's inner workings sounded almost like the start of modern-day politics, only on a much smaller, more primitive scale. The three of them wanted to laugh about what this system would eventually become in their time, but they decided to keep quiet. It wasn't important right now.

“Anyway, you three look disappointed,” Galdark noted. “Is there anything I can help you with? I can do essentially whatever Jack can do in terms of authority.”

“No,” Lupus said bluntly, turning around to head back toward the door. “You can’t do what we want.”

“Huh?” Galdark said, raising an eyebrow in confusion. “What does that even mean? Of course I can. I mean, at least let me try.”

“Well, Lupus does have a point,” Kai said, offering a diplomatic but firm smile. “Unless you can literally turn into Jack, there’s nothing you can do for us right now. If you could just let us know as soon as he’s free, that would be a big help.”

They walked out, but it was only the beginning of their troubles. Trying to get a hold of Jack was becoming a lot harder then they thought.

***

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