Upon reaching the treasury of the royal residence, Kreed signaled for his guards to leave. The large doors behind him closed with a loud clang. The only one who stayed in the treasury with him was Deo.

The treasury appeared far too large for the small mound of gold inside. It looked as though it had originally contained a mountain of treasure. At the center of the room was a black orb on top of a pedestal. It was the size of a human head and radiated a red aura.

Kreed swept his hand across his forehead to get rid of his sweat. He knelt in front of the orb and lowered his head.

Deo kneeled as well.

Kreed gulped. "Demon Lord Belial, your humble servants request an audience."

A demonic voice radiated from the black orb. "Speak."

"The Dominion is far more powerful than we thought. The pre-invasion force we sent was annihilated."

"You disappoint me."

Kreed lowered his head further. "Please accept my deepest apologies!"

"Looks like you could use some motivation."

"Wait! Ugh!" Kreed clutched his chest.

He felt as though someone was squeezing his heart. As he screamed and writhed in agony, he heard Belial's voice.

"Need I remind you what happens when you fail me?"

Kreed wanted to beg for mercy, but he was in so much pain that he was unable to speak.

"I believe Kreed has learned his lesson,” said Deo. “Any more torture could permanently damage his body and reduce his fighting potential."

The pain in Kreed's chest subsided as suddenly as it had come. He pushed himself off the floor and knelt before the orb.

Belial's voice resounded from the orb. "I don’t care about the cost in werewolf lives. Deliver the Dominion's citizens to me."

Kreed was about to open his mouth to speak, when Deo spoke.

"The pre-invasion force was defeated by two very powerful beings. There are no werewolves who can defeat them."

Kreed felt a sense of relief that Deo was the one explaining the situation to Belial. He was afraid of being the target of Belial's wrath again. The pain he’d felt moments ago was still fresh in his mind.

After a moment of silence, Belial's voice emanated from the black orb.

"Does that include you, Kreed?"

"I'm sorry, Lord Belial. Even with the powers you’ve given to me, I don’t think I can defeat them. That’s why, I beg of you, please lend us more power!" Kreed lowered his head until it touched the floor.

"You werewolves are more similar to humans than you think. Like humans, your race's desire for power is insatiable. But that desire for power is what led you two to me in the first place." The voice coming from the black orb paused, before continuing. "There is a way for you to defeat your enemies. But it’ll come at a steep price."

"I'll give anything!"

"Very well. One of my demon generals is trapped with me inside this orb. With the Body Transference Spell, I can bring him into your world. To cast it, I’ll need a suitable host and a city of people to sacrifice. The host needs to be a clan leader, because only the exceptionally strong bodies of clan leaders can contain the demonic energies of a demon general."

"Please excuse my rudeness, Lord Belial. I was wondering why you don't offer to transfer your own essence instead? Wouldn't that be the most efficient way to free you from the black orb?”

"No body in this world is strong enough to contain my vast demonic energies. If the host body is too weak, the Body Transference Spell will fail."

Kreed didn’t mind sacrificing humans. Even if an entire city of them was lost, there would still be enough left in Ferdania to feed the werewolf race for many generations. On the other hand, the value of a clan leader's life far outweighed the value of any number of human lives. However, he was willing to sacrifice even a clan leader to protect the future of his race.

"This servant is eternally grateful for your help. We'll find a suitable host for your demon general and gather the necessary human sacrifices as soon as we can."

"Don’t disappoint me again. You’ll do well to remember that what is given can be taken. That includes your powers."

Kreed spoke with trembling lips. "Your servant will never forget your generosity."

There was no response from the black orb.

Kreed sighed. He felt emotionally and psychologically drained after speaking with Belial.

Deo stood up. "Have you decided which clan leader to sacrifice?"

Kreed didn’t want to sacrifice any of the clan leaders. But he had no choice.

"You possess one of the greatest minds in the world. I think you already know."

"So it'll be him.”