A chill rose from the depths of my heart, eating away at me bit by bit.
My entire body trembled uncontrollably.
Was this truly the Moon Goddess’s arrangement? No matter how I brewed the elixir, whoever drank it would ultimately submit to
Victoria.
Was being falsely accused as a thief of elixirs and thrown into a silver pit simply my fate as Alexis?
Even though everything had changed from my previous life, I still couldn’t escape this destiny!
Where exactly had I gone wrong?
I thought until my head hurt, but I still couldn’t figure out the problem.
Just then, someone knocked on my door. In a daze, I went to open it.
Standing in the sunlight was Victoria, wearing battle attire custom–made in advance for the Gamma selection.
And around her neck, she wore a protective amulet identical to the one I carried with me at all times.
Victoria smiled at me: “Lexi, tomorrow is the Gamma selection day. Have you finished brewing your elixir?”
My face went pale as I stared at the amulet, unable to speak.
Seeing that I didn’t answer, she took my hand and chattered on about many things.
Finally, Victoria glanced at me, her gaze moving past me to the elixir I had brewed inside the house, her smile deepening.
“Lexi, I’ll be waiting to see you showcase your elixir tomorrow, your moment to shine.”
Though she was smiling, her eyes were full of malicious glee.
She was probably thinking about how I would humiliate myself tomorrow.
I watched coldly as Victoria turned to leave, humming a wolf song with an odd melody.
Just then, a group of young pack females happened to pass by, all greeting Victoria.
“Victoria, I heard you threw away the speed enhancement elixir you brewed. Are you still participating in tomorrow’s selection?”
Victoria gave me a meaningful glance before reverting to her harmless persona.
“Of course! I’ve brewed a new elixir this time, using the most ancient method–mixing dozens of herbs together and distilling the most essential parts.”
With each word Victoria spoke, my face grew paler.
The elixir she described was exactly the one I had brewed.
If I brought this elixir tomorrow, I would certainly be accused of stealing Victoria’s elixir again.
But if I didn’t bring it, how could I possibly brew a new elixir in just one day?
I stood frozen in place, my heart filled with despair.
The group of pack females gathered around Victoria, admiring her confidence.
“That sounds incredible!” one of them exclaimed. “Using ancient methods… you’re so brave.”
“It was risky,” Victoria admitted with false modesty, twirling the amulet around her neck. “But sometimes the old ways are the
most powerful.”
“Though I’m mediocre at best, I’ll certainly lose to Lexi tomorrow, but I’m just going to learn from her experience,” Victoria said
sweetly.
“By the way, Lexi, I’ve only told you about the elixir I brewed, but I haven’t asked you yet–what kind of elixir did you brew this
time?”
As Victoria’s words fell, several curious gazes swept toward me simultaneously.
I stood there thunderstruck, my entire body trembling.
Even though I had done completely different things from my previous life, everything seemed to point to one outcome.
An inescapable abyss of destruction.
No matter how hard I tried, the ending never seemed to change.
Seeing that I wasn’t responding, the group exchanged glances, looking somewhat confused.
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“Victoria, come on, you’re revealing such confidential information so openly. Aren’t you afraid someone might copy your process and brew the same elixir?”
Victoria smiled sweetly: “I only explained the details to Lexi. She’s so talented, how could she possibly copy someone as insignificant as me to brew an elixir?”
“Besides, Lexi is the most outstanding elixir brewer in the pack. Even an elixir she brews casually would be far better than one I meticulously create.”
I remained silent, and the atmosphere grew awkward.
The group looked at each other uncomfortably, trying to smooth things over.
“Stop prying! Lexi is amazing, so the elixir she brings tomorrow will surely be innovative. What right do we have to see it in advance?”
“Alright, alright, we should get going now.”
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Watching the group leave together, Victoria waved at me.
“Lexi, see you tomorrow.”
The smile on her face was innocent, but her tone was filled with malice.
I slammed the door shut with a “bang,” my face ashen. I took all my remaining silver powder and dumped it into my newly brewed elixir.
The entire potion bottle boiled and was destroyed.
A sense of vengeful satisfaction rose in my heart. Victoria must be feeling terrible right now.
Let’s see what elixir she would bring to the competition tomorrow.
I knew she must have some method of knowing my entire elixir brewing process. She must be suffering now that I’d destroyed the potion.
I forced myself to calm down, then changed into clean clothes and went to Richard’s house.
A crowd had gathered in his yard, discussing something in hushed tones.
Richard was smoking, and broke into a cheerful smile as soon as he saw me.
“Alexis, why aren’t you at home carefully brewing your elixir for tomorrow’s Gamma selection? What brings you here?”
My eyes stung with unshed tears. How wonderful it would be if his fatherly affection–for me were genuine.
I had been orphaned since childhood and had always viewed Richard as my grandfather, constantly wearing the protective amulet he had crafted for me.
Yet today I discovered that Victoria wore an identical amulet.
After living two lives, this was the one detail I had overlooked.
Our pack descended from ancient werewolves and witches, and Richard’s ancestors were from a powerful witch clan. He always had some secret magic unknown to others.
If Richard had tampered with both amulets, that would explain everything.
“Richard, I’m not brewing an elixir anymore. I’m going to the forest to practice combat skills.”
The crowd immediately erupted in murmurs, none of them understanding why I–the person most likely to become Gamma— would give up.
Without waiting for Richard’s response, I turned and left, shifting directly into my wolf form and running toward the forest. Others thought I had gone mad, abandoning elixir brewing at this crucial time to venture into the forest.
Although fighting rogue wolves in the forest could improve my strength, this kind of enhancement could never be as rapid as
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using an elixir.
But a secret satisfaction rose within me. How would Victoria accuse me of stealing her elixir this time?
As I ran, I felt Willow’s exhilaration merging with my own. For the first time since my rebirth, we were truly in sync, our paws
pounding against the earth in perfect rhythm.
“They won’t expect this,” Willow thought to me, her mental voice stronger than I’d ever heard it.
“No, they won’t,” I agreed.
The forest welcomed us with its familiar scents–pine, moss, decay, and the faint traces of other predators. But I wasn’t afraid.
Not anymore.
This time, I wouldn’t play by their rules. This time, I would forge my own path.
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As I raced toward the forest, Richard chased after me, his footsteps heavy against the dirt path. I could hear his labored breathing
as he struggled to keep up.
“Alexis! Stop this nonsense right now!” he shouted, his voice carrying across the clearing. “Tomorrow is the Gamma selection
day, and you’re running away now? Have you lost your mind?”
I kept running, my legs pushing harder with each stride. Willow urged me on from within, her presence giving me strength.
Richard’s voice grew more desperate. “You’ve worked for more than a decade–wasn’t it all so you could become our pack’s
Gamma? How can you give up at this moment!”
He was closing the distance between us. I could practically feel his frustration radiating behind me.
“Think about what you’re throwing away!” he called out. “With your talent and diligence, you could brew any elixir and defeat
everyone, becoming the Gamma you’ve always dreamed of being!”
His voice was weathered, each word like a pearl of wisdom, all seemingly in my best interest. By the end, his tone even carried
notes of anguish and exasperation. The perfect performance of a concerned mentor.
I almost laughed at how convincing he sounded. If I hadn’t been reborn, I would have believed his words and obediently brought
my elixir to unwittingly serve as Victoria’s stepping stone.
“Alexis!” he called one more time, a command in his voice now. The Beta trying to assert his authority.
I held my breath, no longer listening to Richard’s words. My mind was made up.
Just as I was about to cross the border into the forest, a figure darted out from between the trees. Victoria appeared at the edge,
her perfectly styled hair now disheveled, her eyes wide with panic.
“Lexi!” Her voice was high with anxiety. “I heard you destroyed all your elixirs. What’s going on?” She reached for my arm, her fingers grazing my sleeve.
I jerked away from her touch and let out a cold laugh. The sound startled her, and she took a step back.
“Worried about something, Victoria?” I asked, my voice eerily calm.
Her eyes darted nervously between me and Richard, who had finally caught up, his chest heaving.
Without
my elixir, how could Victoria possibly succeed in being selected as Gamma? Her plan was falling apart, and the fear in her eyes confirmed it.
“You need to come back to the pack,” she said, trying to sound concerned. “Everyone’s worried about you.”
Now she was panicking, but it was too late. Far too late.
My face wore an expression of determination as I reached up and removed the protective amulet from around my neck. The metal
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felt warm against my palm, charged with whatever magic Richard had woven into it.
“What are you doing?” Richard asked, his voice suddenly sharp. “That amulet protects you. You need it in the forest.”
I held it up, letting it dangle between us. “Do I? Or does it do something else entirely?”
Victoria’s eyes widened at the sight of the amulet, her hand instinctively going to the identical one around her own neck.
Without another word, I dropped the amulet to the ground. Richard lunged forward with surprising speed, but he was too late.
I quickened my pace, closed my eyes, and leaped forward, diving straight into the forest and into the territory where rogue wolve gathered. Behind me, I heard Richard cursing and Victoria’s panicked voice asking what they should do now.
The next day, wearing a mask that covered the upper half of my face and carrying a vial of amber liquid, I slipped into the crowd
at the training grounds. No one recognized me–I’d made sure of that with a change of clothes and my hair pulled back in a way I
never wore it.
Victoria and another girl–Mira, if I remembered correctly–stood on the elevated platform, preparing to drink their elixirs
before beginning their contest. Victoria kept scanning the crowd nervously, obviously looking for me.
The Elder Alpha, a gray–haired man with stern features, stood at the edge of the platform. “The rules of this selection remain
unchanged,” he announced, his voice carrying across the assembled pack members. “Both candidates will consume their elixirs,
shift into wolf form, and engage in combat. The victor will be named our new Gamma.”
The rules of the competition were simple but effective. A top–tier Beta wolf enhancement elixir, which no one had successfully
brewed in 50 years, would guarantee victory once it appeared.
This time, since I had destroyed the Beta wolf enhancement elixir I’d brewed, Victoria had no choice but to follow the normal
procedure–drink her own prepared elixir and fight others. The smugness she’d displayed yesterday was nowhere to be seen now.
I raised my eyes toward the training ground, watching Mira carefully. The girl was quite talented too, only slightly inferior to me
within the pack. I’d always liked her–she worked hard and never participated in the bullying I’d endured.
She had brewed a standard strength enhancement elixir, which increased her wolf’s attack power by 50% after consumption. As she drank it down, her body visibly strengthened, muscles becoming more defined under her training clothes.
Victoria’s turn came next. With trembling hands, she uncorked her vial and drank. The crowd leaned forward in anticipation,
waiting for some remarkable transformation.
Nothing happened.
Victoria’s elixir had almost no effect. After drinking it, when she shifted, her wolf remained as weak and unremarkable as it had always been. The whispers started immediately.
“I thought she said she had something special…”
“Wasn’t she bragging about some ancient technique?”
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“Looks like ordinary water to me!”
+15 Bonus
Victoria’s face turned pale as chalk. Her wolf form paced the platform anxiously, clearly aware it was outmatched. Richard stood
at the edge of the crowd, his expression thunderous.
Reluctantly, Victoria’s wolf prepared to face Mira’s much stronger form. She closed her eyes briefly, as if gathering her courage.
When she opened them again, they immediately locked onto me standing below the training ground.
Even in wolf form, I could see the recognition flash across her features. Her head tilted, ears perking up. Then, impossibly, her
wolf lips curled into what could only be described as a smile.
She shifted back to human form so quickly that several spectators gasped. Standing naked and unashamed on the platform, she
pointed directly at me.
“I haven’t lost yet!” she shouted, her voice ringing with triumph. “What I just drank wasn’t my wolf enhancement elixir–my
elixir is in Alexis’s hands!”
Before I could react, Victoria had jumped down from the training ground, pushing people aside to reach me. With a victorious
smirk, she snatched the elixir from my hand.
“Finally,” she breathed, her eyes gleaming with anticipated victory.
Then, with everyone watching, she tilted her head back and gulped down the entire contents of my vial, not leaving a single drop.
For a moment, silence fell over the entire grounds. Everyone’s eyes fixed on Victoria as she wiped her mouth with the back of her
hand, waiting for the transformation to begin.
I stood perfectly still, my face expressionless behind my mask.
The moment Victoria swallowed the last drop of my elixir, her transformation began.
A collective gasp rose from the crowd as her human form contorted. Bones cracked and reshaped themselves with audible snaps
that made several onlookers wince.
Her skin rippled as thick gray fur burst through her pores, and within seconds, her wolf form appeared–but not her usual
unremarkable wolf.
This time, her wolf underwent an extremely obvious transformation. Her wolf form instantly grew larger, changing from an
ordinary gray wolf into a top–tier Beta wolf with superior combat abilities.
Her muscles bulged beneath her silver–gray coat, her claws lengthened to deadly points, and her eyes gleamed with newfound
power.
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