As Deo approached the stretcher, some of the clan leaders glared at him. They looked like they were ready to tear him to shreds at any moment, but he paid them no mind. Their hostility toward him was something he had grown accustomed to. With a steady gait, he didn’t falter for even a second as he walked. They might not respect him, but they wouldn’t dare touch him. With Kreed guaranteeing his safety, there was nothing to fear.

"Oruk, please put Zaric's weapon and shield aside."

"As you command." Oruk promptly lifted the axe and tower shield from the body and placed them on the ground next to the stretcher.

Deo made a mental note to reward Oruk in the future. Most werewolves looked down on him, but Oruk seemed to be an exception.

He gazed at the shield and then at the body. "The hole in his shield lines up with the one in his chest. This was the work of a single piercing attack."

Several clan leaders gasped.

Of course they would be surprised. When Zaric was equipped with his mithril shield and full-plate armor, his defense was the highest among the clan leaders. The idea that a single attack was able to breach all of his defenses seemed far-fetched. However, the physical evidence was irrefutable.

Kneeling next to the stretcher, Deo glided his fingers across the gash on Zaric's helmet. "To be able to cut cleanly through thick mithril... only a master level swordsman with extraordinary arm strength could have done this."

There was uneasy chatter among the clan leaders.

Next, he brushed away dirt from Zaric’s axe. "There's no sign of blood on the blade. Zaric wasn't even able to scratch his opponent. This was a one-sided fight."

"No human could possibly do such a thing!"

The outburst came from Steppenwolf, the leader of the Bloodmetal Clan.

Deo stroked his long black beard. "True, even the highest-level human should not be able to overpower a clan leader to such an extent."

Clan leaders were the strongest individuals of the werewolf race. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that each one had the combat ability of a thousand human soldiers. He could imagine Youji, a renowned swordsman in the Dominion, fighting on par with a clan leader, but it would be a close fight.

Yerza, the leader of the Silvermoon Clan, spoke. "Perhaps Zaric was killed by a large group of strong humans."

Deo recalled an assassination attempt on Kreed's life. During the Ferdania-Werewolf war, Algori, an assassin organization, had sided with Ferdania. Ferdania would’ve fallen a lot sooner had it not been for Algori's intervention.

Near the end of the war, Algori had sent a large group of elite assassins to take Kreed's life. They managed to infiltrate deep into werewolf territory, eliminate all of Kreed's guards, and even kill a clan leader. That day, Kreed fought against and defeated the group of assassins. But even he couldn’t walk away unscathed from the battle. Only one of the assassins survived. She had been imprisoned within the dungeons of the royal residence.

Deo shook his head. "I've considered that possibility. However, an enemy who is able to pierce through all of Zaric's defenses in one move, should be able to defeat him without any help. Also, Oruk said he encountered only one human near Zaric's remains."

Thrax approached the stretcher. "Could it be that Zaric's killer isn’t human? For example, Zaric may have been killed by a dragon or an ogre. Dragons have claws that are able to rend even the strongest of metals. Ogres may possess the brutish arm strength needed to make such a powerful piercing attack."

"I’ve also considered that possibility. However, the evidence says otherwise. The clean cuts are consistent with a sword, rather than a dragon claw. Also, ogres wouldn’t have the agility to evade all of Zaric's attacks. The enemy either belongs to a powerful race that we haven’t encountered yet, or is a human swordsman who has surpassed all humans before him."

Deo thought the former was more believable. He found it difficult to accept that members of his own race, who werewolves viewed as food, could be so powerful.

"What a fearsome warrior."

Many of the clan leaders nodded.

Koga, the leader of the Doomfist Clan, bowed before Kreed. "My lord, let my clan handle this. We'll hunt down the mage and Zaric's killer.”

"If the Stonecleaver Clan couldn't beat them, what makes you think your clan can?"

The question was raised by Hak, the leader of the Skullsplitter Clan.

"The Doomfist Clan fears no man. Don't lump us together with those weaklings."

"What did you say?” growled Oruk. “I dare you to say it again!"

"Enough!" Kreed's booming voice silenced the room. "It's far too dangerous to send any more werewolves into the Dominion. There’s still much we don’t know about the new enemies. For the time being, we’ll bolster our defenses. I’ll consult with Belial. He may be able to help us."