The Invincible Full-Moon System Chapter 1795: Lonely Darkness

"I am the Royal Black Prince," Rex proclaimed, his voice booming like thunder and resonating with immense authority across the surroundings. "I have inherited the might of the Dark Moon. The Blood Moon and Honey Moon stand behind me, so it's wise for you to submit and follow me as your Alpha."

In front of him lay over a dozen shadowy forms twisting in near-total submission.

Their tails hung low, signaling complete deference.

Not one among them lifted their eyes to challenge his stare—not due to frailty, but out of respect for rank and untainted lineage.

A full day had passed since his encounter with Ignatius.

To gear up for the clash against the empire and fulfill the second Race Evolution Quest, Rex aimed to expand his pack's ranks. He hunted down the Shade Crawlers by following their lingering scents—close to the Tomb of Heroes, which was all a werewolf required to pursue any target.

Even within the Black Rift's depths, escape from his senses proved impossible.

Yet he discovered them clustered not far from his own spot.

The Blood Moon-infused strike from Empress Morgana had hurled him a great distance, yet these Shade Crawlers lingered within five miles of his landing. They weren't concealing themselves but lingering in wait, clearly intending to be discovered.

Now, every one of them knelt in homage.

Isolation in the Spirit Realm left them oblivious to the turmoil facing werewolves in their homeland.

Unaware that others labeled him a fraudulent werewolf.

Unaware of his triumphs over the royals and the scorn he heaped upon them.

Unaware that their entire race now fell under his command and that of his empire's grasp.

They might not even realize their Origin had vanished ages ago, with the survivors sealed off from the world.

For them, the ancient times lingered on, even as a fresh era dawned elsewhere.

A mere flash of his arched horns combined with the release of his Alpha presence sufficed to bring the Shade Crawlers under his sway. Several among them possessed tremendous might, including their Shaman, Varya—a seven-hundred-year-old werewolf by Mortal Realm reckoning—who nearly matched his own strength.

Not quite on par, yet her spiritual energy reserves doubled Rex's own.

Given their collective size and prowess, defiance seemed possible.

Yet their ingrained traditions smoothed the path for Rex to enlist them, transforming the majority into Silverstars.

He converted the ten mightiest Shade Crawlers, Varya included, into Silverstars and assigned them to the Outer Pack, though he forbade their shift into human guise. Their current obedience suited him fine, and he avoided risking unrest by altering their forms further.

A deep fatigue pulsed through Rex's frame after converting these Shade Crawlers.

This wasn't his initial bout of swiftly bolstering the pack.

Previously, he'd only handled Voidal Knights, far beneath his power level.

The Shade Crawlers, however, rivaled his pre-Blood Moon Echo capabilities for the most part—formidably potent. The toll of their conversions proved heavy, leaving Rex satisfied with just ten successes.

"What say you, Varya?" Rex gazed down upon her.

She positioned herself directly in his path, not fully prostrated like the rest but on her knees.

This stemmed not from any sense of superiority, but from the mutated spine that hindered her forward bend; kneeling represented her utmost display of compliance to Rex. "I've merely maintained order in your absence, Your Highness. With your arrival, yielding to you comes naturally."

"Excellent," Rex replied with a nod, his hand softly stroking her head. "Time to get to business now."

"What command do you have for me?" As Rex's fingers lifted her chin, she raised her gaze.

"I require you to track down an individual," Rex explained, his eyes shining with focused determination. "And ensure the route to them stays clear. Take the Ten along. I've noted your mutations aid in detection, so deliver results within a day at most. Is that feasible?"

"Without question," Varya affirmed with steady assurance.

For endless years, the Black Rift served as home to her and her Shade Crawlers. They'd roamed the continent and likely farther, etching its layout vividly into their memories like an innate chart.

Survival through the ages without growing their numbers relied on that intimate knowledge.

"Summon the rest as well," Rex added while pivoting to depart. "Bring every one of them here."

Naturally, this gathering didn't encompass all Shade Crawlers.

Roughly two to three dozen more roamed the Solmara Continent, requiring time to converge on their location. Few in count against an empire's vast reserves of expendable troops, yet each matched the caliber of a general, a Baron, or even a Marquis.

Viewed through that lens, Rex commanded a respectable force already.

The Spirit Emperor remained a looming threat, however.

A voice resonated in his thoughts as he briefly distanced himself from the Shade Crawlers.

Mira updated him on the unfolding events.

Rex's mouth curved into a sly grin while absorbing her words.

Empress Morgana had vanished, likely fleeing after her secret identity surfaced. Princess Davina and her troops scoured the lands for him with frantic urgency, per Mira's precise account. Royal knights were meant to assist, deploying life-energy pulses from the empire's bubbles to scan like radar signals.

No royal knights arrived to bolster her efforts.

The Spirit Emperor proclaimed the Empress wronged and commanded the execution of the invader upon detection. Doubts would surely arise among the populace, yet Rex paid them no mind. He'd anticipated this turn.

In this domain, he counted as an outsider.

Merely an intruder hailing from the Mortal Realm.

Empress Morgana, for all her deceptions and schemes, belonged natively here.

Figures like Duke Lorcan might challenge the emperor's call, but ultimately, the empire's denizens would rally to their cherished ruler without hesitation. Such loyalty defined their ways.

Public sentiment could shift, though.

Rex ruled his own empire back in the Mortal Realm, and despite this realm's superior might, human natures aligned closely. Emperor Dominar's hubris blinded him to Rex's lingering threat post-battles with the Archangel of Knives and the Empress.

Rex intended to force that regret upon him.

After dispatching the Shade Crawlers on their missions, he settled into a cavern perched near a two-hundred-foot precipice. This served as Varya's long-time dwelling, her sanctuary across centuries. All Shade Crawlers depended on her presence.

Foraging for sustenance was one matter, but emotional uplift came from her too.

No Lunas existed here—only Alphas.

Varya explained how the stranded Lunas failed to adjust like the Alphas did.

Betas fared no better, shaping their current all-Alpha dynamic.

Though better suited to independence without Lunas, the Shade Crawlers craved respite, a haven to recharge exhausted spirits. This need arose early in their exile to this realm.

Varya endured agonizing forced mutations to hasten her adaptation.

The ordeal nearly claimed her life, yet she endured.

Her aura and essence now echoed the soothing essence of Lunas, positioning her as a nurturing anchor for the Shade Crawlers—offering calming songs to steel their resolve, murmuring promises of the Origin's eventual rescue.

Rex's fingers glided over the warped rune etched into the cavern wall.

Thanks to System-granted expertise, he recognized the rune's Varya had inscribed as flawed and diminished in potency. Time's erosion must have clouded her focus, weakening her craft.

A tragic fate, in Rex's view.

Werewolves marooned in the Spirit Realm, their recollections of home fading into haze.

Deep within the Black Rift's core now, Rex lost track of days without System query, though a handful had likely elapsed. He devoted most to meditation, letting the essence and strength harvested from the Archangel of Knives restore his soul and form.

<Fiber of the Unbound Titan>

<Bonus: +2,000,000 Strength, 1,500,000 Endurance, and 500,000 Agility>

A boon from Ignatius's aid granted him this as well.

This blessing mended his vitality while fortifying his physique.

Titan-like vigor now surged through his muscles.

The notion that Ignatius's mere contact yielded four million stat points boggled the mind, underscoring their vast gap. As Scion, Blank, and Werewolf, Rex still paled before Ignatius's might.

He now grasped Kei Xun's truth in calling him a mere infant.

Against such a colossal entity, he truly was.

Amid the cavern's gloom and his shut eyes, Rex's perceptions sharpened to their peak.

A sense of companionship lingered, unbidden.

His lids fluttered at the gentle combing of Gistella's touch. Her slender, tender fingers wove through his dense black locks, then pressed at the nape as if drawing away every stress and shadow from his thoughts.

Her entire being exuded softness and warmth, a balm his rugged exterior craved.

Next wafted a fresh, misty aroma that drew a deep breath from him.

Adhara's firm lips claimed his with fierce intensity, as if seeking to consume and claim him wholly. Beyond moments of caution, she infused every action with excessive force, striving to equal his power.

Likely forged by her harsh past into such a blazing spirit.

Her father's severity had spared her lasting marks on her flawless skin, a mercy in her werewolf transformation.

A tremor coursed his back as his hands found enclosure in two firm grips.

The unyielding clasp revealed Evelyn's hold.

Among them all, Evelyn evoked memories of his mother, Mrs. Greene, most vividly.

A determined soul who recognized his promise, pushing him harder than anyone, yet also the source of his deepest confidence and power. She instilled in him a sense of true invincibility.

Rex's right hand jerked from a sharp bite.

His blood surged hotly as Calidora's teeth pierced his flesh.

Unlike the rest, her vibe always stirred discomfort in him.

Yet she also kept him vigilant, even within his sanctuary.

She recalled his Noob Box drill sergeant, whose torments made sound sleep a rarity for him. Pregnant with his child, her ferocity in maintaining his alertness intensified.

Her birth would complicate matters greatly.

Entrusting her to Elder Tilrith might not prove a poor choice after all.

Calidora wouldn't yield to it without resistance, of course.

Like a fleeting breeze, the feelings vanished as Rex's eyes snapped open.

Darkness still enveloped him, the ache for their caresses and his distant home persisting, but duty allowed no further delay.

Footfalls resounded from the cavern entrance, drawing nearer into the shadows.

Rex dispersed the voidal energy to reveal the approach, and with his keen vision, he spotted Amanir alongside two familiar silhouettes. Rising swiftly, he strode forward and folded his arms across his torso.

"I never expected you two to show up," he remarked evenly, masking his astonishment. "Are you certain about this?"