7. Acknowledgement

Morning finally dawned on the Silver Moon Pack after the raid. Smoke lingered in the air, the smell of burning hung in the air, and the remains of a pack's destruction were visible. The previous night's attack had been quite intense.

The ground around Raven was covered in the rubble of collapsed buildings; Martha's house was mostly burned, and nothing remained but rubble. Raven stood and walked to see the rest of the pack. He couldn't be weak; he had to rescue Martha immediately. Raven saw the pack members walking with grim expressions. Some had lost their families, some had lost their homes, and the rest had lost hope.

Raven stood amid the rubble, looking around. His chest felt tight. Last night, he had failed to save Martha. The image of the old woman continued to haunt him. But he remembered one phrase that kept echoing in his head.

"A true Alpha protects before he conquers."

Raven clenched his fists. "I'm not strong enough... but I won't be quiet."

Without waiting for orders, he began to help clear the rubble. He remembered Martha's words to protect the pack. He lifted logs that had fallen onto the main road and carried large boulders that blocked access to the food storage. His hands were repeatedly cut by splinters, but he didn't complain.

Some of the pack members just glanced at him scornfully.

"It's no use."

"Omega couldn't do anything."

"If it weren't for him, maybe none of this would have happened." The whispers were clear. Why were they blaming him? Raven was confused. He had to find out what this had to do with Martha.

Raven didn't care; he just kept working. Soon, panicked screams rang out.

"Help!"

"The child is alive!" a woman's voice called out.

Raven immediately ran to find someone who needed help. Behind the collapsed house, a young boy was pinned under a support beam. His face was pale, his breathing weak.

"Hold on a little longer." Raven knelt. He tried to lift the beam. The muscles in his arms tensed. The beam was much heavier than he expected.

"Brother... it hurts..."

The boy's voice made Raven grit his teeth.

"I won't let you die."

With all his strength, Raven screamed.

"AAARGHHH!"

Slowly... The beam lifted. Several pack members who witnessed the incident immediately came to help. Finally, the boy was rescued. His mother immediately hugged him, crying.

"Thank you..."

Raven simply nodded slowly.

Ding.

A transparent screen appeared, and the system again.

[LEGACY OF THE FIRST ALPHA]

Authority +2

"The strength of an Alpha is measured by the lives he protects."

Current Authority: 7

Raven smiled faintly. So... This is how the system works. Although Raven didn't yet understand how powerful his Authority would be, last night he was able to fight Shadow Wolf with the power of the system.

Today, Raven wanted to increase his power by increasing his Authority. He helped the pack members, treating minor injuries with potions made by the healer, collecting remaining food supplies to share, and rebuilding a collapsed fence. Raven, busy helping the pack, had already caught the attention of the pack members, and their gazes began to change.

The pack members began to sympathize, albeit slightly, but they no longer called Raven a curse. Raven continued to work and gain more Authority.

***

By midday in Silver Moon, things had calmed down, and repairs were underway. The Silver Moon Pack was indeed a weak pack. Attacks from monsters and other packs were frequent, though not on a large scale. Several other packs wanted to dominate Silver Moon and become their vassals. However, the Silver Moon leader refused to submit. If they did, they would become slaves.

As Raven was lifting a log to help a pack member whose house was damaged, a pair of feet approached him from behind.

Raven sensed the scent of hatred and threat, his werewolf senses activating, sensing the danger. He turned and saw someone watching closely.

Darren!

The tall, dark-haired young man stopped right in front of Raven. His arms were crossed. His gaze was still filled with distaste.

"I heard you've been working since morning."

Raven nodded curtly. "So?"

Darren snorted. "Don't misunderstand. To me, you're still the Cursed Omega."

That statement made several of the pack members stop what they were doing. They knew. Darren was the best young fighter in Silver Moon, aside from the senior Betas. He had always been the first to insult Raven.

But today... His gaze was different. As if he wanted to prove something.

"I want to confirm it myself."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Confirm what?"

"Was everything you said last night just a coincidence?"

Darren pointed to the small forest behind the pack. "Come with me. If you've truly changed... Defeat me."

The crowd immediately erupted in commotion.

"Darren wants to duel!"

"Omega versus Darren?"

"This will be over quickly."

Raven stared at Darren for a moment. "What will I get if I win?"

Darren answered without hesitation. "If you win... I'll acknowledge you as part of the Silver Moon Pack."

Those words left Raven speechless. For years... No one had truly considered him part of their family.

He nodded slowly.

"Okay."

***

They arrived at a clearing on the edge of the forest. A gentle breeze blew. Dozens of pack members followed behind. Everyone wanted to witness the duel. The weakest Omega in the pack accepted Darren's challenge.

Darren drew his wooden sword. "I won't hold back."

Raven simply picked up a wooden stick lying on the ground.

"This is enough."

Darren smiled sarcastically. "Arrogant."

Without warning... Darren charged Raven.

WHOOSH!

The attack was swift. Raven's stick nearly slipped from his grasp after the first blow.

"Heavy..." Raven knew that Darren had surpassed Omega and become Beta at such a young age. Raven had always been insulted and kept silent. Darren's second attack came even faster.

CRACK!

Raven's stick cracked. The crowd began to cheer.

"I told you so."

"An Omega is an Omega."

Darren continued to press. One strike. Two strikes. Three strikes in a row. Raven could barely defend.

Raven took a few steps back. His breath began to hitch.

However, amidst the pressure... He began to remember all the fights with the Shadow Wolves. Their movements. The way they pounced. Their hunting instincts.

Slowly... Raven's vision shifted. Everything felt clearer. Darren's movements no longer seemed as swift as before. "I see..."

Raven muttered. The power of the system and last night's experience had changed everything. The awakening power gave Raven confidence. When Darren swung his sword again, Raven tilted his body.

WHOOSH!

The sword swept through the air.

"What?" Darren was shocked.

Raven spun his staff.

THUD!

A powerful blow struck Darren's wrist. His sword slipped. Before Darren could react...

Raven was behind him. The wooden staff stopped right at the back of Darren's neck.

Silence.

No one made a sound. They hadn't even realized when Raven had moved. Darren closed his eyes. He knew. If it were a real sword... He would be dead.

Raven lowered his staff. "I don't want to fight with the pack members. We must work together to restore the pack."

Darren slowly turned around. His gaze changed. It was no longer filled with hatred. Instead, it was filled with respect. He took a deep breath.

"Not bad... for an Omega. However, if I were to be serious and change, I doubt you'd last two seconds." Darren's eyes were sharp.

"No."

"You do win."

Darren raised Raven's right hand high. Then he spoke in front of all the Silver Moon members.

"Starting today! I acknowledge Raven Blackwood as a member of the Silver Moon Pack."

The crowd immediately fell silent. Some people looked at each other. They hadn't expected Darren to actually keep his promise.

Ding.

The system screen reappeared.

[LEGACY OF THE FIRST ALPHA]

Authority +5

Reason:

Earned the acknowledgment of a warrior through strength and restraint.

Pack Loyalty

Silver Moon Pack: 3%

But before Raven could read any further... A black bird landed on the wooden fence. At its foot hung a small, black scroll. The bird stared straight at Raven.

Darren stepped forward and picked up the scroll. His face immediately turned serious.

"This..." He looked at Raven. "This letter is addressed to you."

Raven unrolled the scroll. There was only one sentence.

"If you want the old woman to live... come alone to Black Fang Valley on the next full moon."

At the bottom of the letter... was a symbol identical to the one on his chest, a manifestation of his own system.

Raven clenched the letter. His eyes filled with determination. Martha, wait for me!