Chapter 116: Hua Zi
Huang Ze didn’t have time to overthink; he quickly instructed the national security staff to escort his parents back to the base for protection, then stayed alone at home, planning to spend the night in his room to see exactly what tricks that woman intended to play.
The Black Dragon’s body was near perfect—there was no such thing as a reverse scale—but without a doubt, Huang Ze’s parents were his weak spot.
If something was going on, especially something emotional, why couldn’t it be directed at him? Why must they disturb his mother?
Huang Ze was somewhat annoyed. Though it was just a simple dream message for now, seemingly harmless, he hadn’t forgotten that if her objective remained unfulfilled, the next step might be soul binding or forcibly controlling others’ minds.
This wasn’t paranoia; he simply couldn’t trust the limits of a stranger.
“Too bad my main body can’t come over; otherwise, maybe with the Eye of Truth, I could have seen something…” Huang Ze scrutinized his room again but found nothing.
Earlier, the national security personnel had also scanned the room with specialized equipment, detecting no abnormalities.
The Summer Academy maintained a good relationship with the undead faction and showed considerable interest in mental and soul magic. After half a year of contact and research, they had some understanding: if such magic were active domestically, it would inevitably alter the surrounding magnetic field.
Yet, the magnetic field in Huang Ze’s room remained stable and showed no unusual energy signatures, unlike the interference magic would cause.
Still, Huang Ze dared not be careless and instead doubled his vigilance.
“...I must find a way to eliminate this threat for my parents soon, or something bad will happen eventually.”
A strange sense of urgency gripped him. He hadn’t intended to have his parents take the Golden Dragon’s blood and undergo the transformation of life form so soon, but now it seemed unavoidable.
“...Not just taking the Golden Dragon’s blood, but it would be best to find them a few bodyguards as well!”
As for bodyguards…
Huang Ze thought his Hellhound was an excellent choice—not only tough and resilient, capable of enduring and fighting, but also obedient.
Moreover, as a hellish creature, it naturally intimidated undead beings and soul energies, making it perfect for guarding the home and preventing sneak attacks.
Of course, there were downsides—for one, the Hellhound was large and hideously ugly, hardly convenient for walks.
Besides, Paros was currently on a northern construction site, diligently working as security, overseeing thousands of minotaurs and tens of thousands of gnolls, so it couldn’t be spared anytime soon.
“But since there’s a Hellhound… there must be Hellcats too, right?”
Huang Ze pondered. It wouldn’t be fair to let the dog squad have all the glory; the cat squad deserved their chance as well. He planned to catch a few feline hellish creatures when the opportunity arose.
...
“Damn it… this dog is way too much!”
Antu watched the Hellhound with its slicked-back mane patrolling the construction site, occasionally barking. Unable to hold back, he cursed under his breath and spat harshly on the ground.
Immediately, a gnoll foreman and disciplinary officer noticed and reported him to their superiors, resulting in a ten-point deduction in civility and performance scores for Antu, slashing his salary by a fifth.
“...Damn it!”
Antu nearly lost his temper, but his comrades held him back.
“Boss, calm down, don’t act rashly. Getting fired would be a huge loss!”
Despite his heroic spirit, Antu had to swallow his frustration.
In theory, as a progressive werewolf who had attended over twenty Summer Culture learning sessions and earned more than ten advanced worker honors, Antu’s personal qualities shouldn’t be so poor. Yet, lately, his kind had been living miserably.
Honestly, before that damn Hellhound appeared, the Summer Kingdom treated werewolves quite well, immediately assigning them to mid-level management positions—security guards. This was a much higher starting point than the minotaurs and gnolls who only knew hard labor.
But ever since the cursed Paros arrived, everything changed. The Hellhound’s skills far surpassed theirs, taking over security duties entirely.
Across the entire project with more than a dozen sites, not a single security incident occurred, not even a mouse was seen. This baffled security workers like Antu, causing their performance ratings and incomes to plummet.
“Boss… maybe we should change jobs?”
A strong elite werewolf lit a cigarette for Antu and suggested, “Working security on a construction site has no future. The monthly wage barely covers smokes!”
“Damn it, why don’t you buy cheaper smokes? I don’t think the Summer Kingdom folks even dare smoke!”
Antu smacked his subordinate but took the cigarette, happily exhaling.
“Boss, didn’t you teach us? Life’s short; we can’t settle for less.”
The elite werewolf scratched his head, unconcerned. “We’ve suffered most of our lives; we deserve better. Smoking is a belief—if I don’t smoke, I feel awful.”
“You’ve obviously lost your mind… what kind of family does that? Smoking is a belief? Can you even afford that?”
Antu scolded, then sighed. “Changing jobs? Where can we go? We’re uneducated and unskilled; if we don’t guard for the Summer Kingdom, what else? Become bandits again? Do you want to die young?”
“...Have you noticed the Summer Kingdom folks look at us weird lately? I heard them muttering that we’re Husky Werewolves!”
“But we’re clearly the famous White Wolf tribe of the North. Linking us to huskies is an insult and racial discrimination. When the company’s inspection team comes, I’ll report them!”
...
The other werewolves in security uniforms showed little solidarity, some hesitant to speak.
“What? You also think we resemble those damn stupid huskies?”
Antu was incredulous, trembling with anger, shedding fur wildly—not from rage, but because it was molting season.
“Boss… didn’t you tell us to be realistic?”
An elite werewolf said bluntly, “Honestly, our White Wolf tribe does resemble huskies a bit—not just in eyes and fur color, but even in personality. Both are energetic, lively, and often a bit crazy...”
“Grier’s pursuit of us was because our ancestors messed with his temple, and this happened more than once historically...”
“So I think… the Summer Kingdom folks linking us to huskies is actually pretty accurate!”
“Damn…”
Antu laughed bitterly, too annoyed to hit him. “You degenerate too fast, accepting company with such stupid creatures!”
“Boss, huskies aren’t dumb; they just don’t focus their brains on serious things!”
The elite argued, “And haven’t you noticed? Though the Summer Kingdom folks tease huskies, they actually like this breed. Many won’t give up their husky friends even if their homes get demolished countless times!”
“So, binding us White Wolves to huskies might hurt our reputation short-term, but in the long run, it helps the Summer Kingdom accept and trust us faster!”
“What?!”
Antu was so shocked he dropped his cigarette, then patted his subordinate’s head. “Who knew your brain got so sharp? Tell me, did you secretly attend tutoring classes?”
“No, no.”
The elite waved his hands hurriedly. “Just read some books and thought it through. Mostly thanks to your wise leadership!”
“I agree!”
Another elite chimed in, “It’s all thanks to your farsightedness and decisiveness, boss. Partnering with the Summer Kingdom gave us the opportunities we have now—even to afford smokes!”
...
“We all know you bear great pressure, boss. Even now, some question your choices, sneering that we’ve lost dignity, becoming dogs for the Summer Kingdom!”
“They don’t realize that labor has no class. Social division of labor is inevitable. Security is a legitimate, legally protected occupation. If we don’t do it, others will. Millions of Summer Kingdom citizens serve as guards—are they dogs too?”
“Well said!”
Antu applauded vigorously, eyes moist with emotion.
The Summer Kingdom despised dictatorship, believing it bred corruption and decay, so they promoted democracy and equality.
**God Descends**
Honestly, Antu worried his governance might be rejected and overturned someday. His personal glory mattered less than fearing a successor who would ruin the delicate relations he’d worked so hard to build.
“Brothers, I’m glad you see it this way!”
Antu grasped the hands of the two elite werewolves, earnestly saying, “Many say I’m shameless, betraying my roots, leading us to be dogs for the Summer Kingdom. But even if we’re dogs, it’s better than wandering homeless!”
“And the Summer Kingdom doesn’t treat us like dogs. They respect us, pay us well—sometimes even better than their own citizens!”
“Even the rare and mighty Black Dragon was released by the Summer Kingdom, showing respect for life and love of peace. The dragon was so moved, it wanted citizenship!”
“Compared to that, us White Wolves guarding and working for the Summer Kingdom—what does that make us? Dogs? No! We earn what we deserve through our labor and ability!”
“...And we’re guards now, but will we be guards forever? The Summer Kingdom is fair and generous. Their stage is big; if we’re good enough, even gnolls can rise to union leaders. What more for us great werewolves!”
“Boss is right!”
“Boss speaks so well! No wonder you studied in the Summer Kingdom—your words have weight!”
“Boss, when can we study abroad like you?”
“...Soon, soon… The Summer Kingdom plans to establish night schools and literacy classes, so everyone will have a chance.”
Antu proudly stroked his white chest fur, somewhat self-satisfied.
“But I have to work harder too. You all look silly on the surface but are actually clever. If I’m not careful, you’ll surpass me, and I’d feel embarrassed as your leader…”
“No, no, no… That’s impossible! With your wisdom and power, you’ll always lead us, our big brother!”
The first elite flattered him.
“Just saying what you want to hear!”
Antu smiled and scolded, “I know you. You secretly studied hard. Honestly, are you planning to usurp me?”
“No, no, how dare I?”
“Really? If so, tell me early. Don’t do sneaky things behind our backs and hurt brotherhood.”
Antu patted his subordinate’s shoulder sincerely. “It’s good to be ambitious and want to rise. Competition helps our group and tribe improve and thrive!”
“Besides… I can’t be leader forever. Retirement is coming!”
He laughed. “Speaking of retirement… I don’t know if you bought Summer Kingdom pension insurance, but I did!”
“I advise everyone to smoke fewer packs and buy it if possible. The pension plan the Summer Kingdom prepared for us werewolves is a real bargain—you’ll definitely profit from it!”