The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna-Chapter 492 Some Changes

They trusted Archmage Elric completely, since he had worked with the Royal Family for over a decade and was a trusted person to the Alpha King. There was no need to hide anything from him. This was also why he was often included on important missions. Leaving Addison in his care while she contacted the Royal Palace felt entirely appropriate.

After Zion left, Maxwell led a group of warriors to reinforce the defenses around the temporary shelter. Meanwhile, Levi began taking inventory and planning the transport sequence for the supplies, farm animals, and the evacuated packs that would be sent back to the Capital. To coordinate everything, he needed to convene a meeting with the packs’ Alphas and lay out a clear plan.

All the while, Addison was left alone in her tent. She didn’t sleep. Instead, she lay still, turning her attention inward, carefully sensing her body and the flow of energy moving within her.

"Sihda... are you there?" Addison called softly, reaching out again and again.

She wanted to ask whether the changes she felt in her body had something to do with the power of light, or if that power was clashing with the curse still rooted inside her. She couldn’t quite put the sensation into words; all she knew was that something was different, unsettlingly so.

But no matter how many times she called, there was no response.

"Maybe... I overused the power of light," Addison murmured to herself, unease creeping into her chest. "Maybe Sihda’s dormant now... recuperating."

Since nothing else happened, Addison didn’t force the issue. Instead, she tried her best to rest, letting sleep take her until evening finally arrived and Zion returned to the temporary shelter.

When he did, he switched roles with Maxwell. Maxwell was preparing to venture farther out, searching for materials the mages needed to construct the teleportation portal, and the materials were notoriously difficult to find. Fortunately, during their time in the Forbidden Forest, Archmage Elric had managed to secure a decent supply, but it wasn’t nearly enough.

They were planning to transport a large number of people, which meant the portal would have to be far bigger and far more stable than usual. And for that, they would need many more materials.

"Did you find anything?" Maxwell asked as Zion and his team passed through the gate.

The moment Zion came to a stop, Maxwell was already at his side. Zion immediately shifted back into his human form, chest heaving as he caught his breath. Sweat soaked his bare skin, and he shook his head in response, still panting from the exertion.

"We only managed to find a small patch of herbs in the valley ahead," Zion said. "But it was already getting dark, and once night fell, the wild monsters started coming out to hunt. Going any farther became too risky."

He paused, taking the water Maxwell handed him and gulping down nearly half the flask in one go. With the back of his hand, he wiped the sweat trailing from his temple to his chin before continuing.

"I also noticed they’ve been unusually restless. It’s probably connected to what happened to the Golden Hue Pack. I went to check the area before searching for materials, but the mist still hasn’t dissipated. Even the wild beasts and monsters nearby have fled."

Zion’s expression darkened. "That mass migration is causing trouble. Monsters from farther territories are being pushed out, so they ended up fighting over the land with those searching for new ground. The whole region is in chaos."

"If that’s the case," Maxwell said thoughtfully, "then venturing out will be extremely difficult. If we want to gather the materials quickly, we may have to skirt around several monster territories. Fighting them head-on would only waste time and resources."

As he spoke, Maxwell pulled Zion aside and unfolded the map Zion had drawn earlier. The markings were dense, which contained the routes, danger zones, and notes scribbled along the edges. The two of them leaned over it, quietly discussing and refining the layout, labeling the areas they had already encountered.

That way, no matter which of them led the next operation, they would have a clear understanding of the terrain around the temporary shelter and a better chance of navigating it efficiently without unnecessary clashes.

"The monsters are even more aggressive now," Zion said with a nod. "So yes, engaging them head-on wouldn’t be ideal."

He handed the map over to Maxwell after he added a few more markings and fell silent. As Maxwell studied it, his expression darkened, the crease between his brows deepening with every marked route and danger zone he saw in the map.

"This is problematic," Maxwell said grimly. "Will three days really be enough to gather all the materials?"

The map in his hands was crowded with markings, zones of monster activity, overlapping routes, and danger areas Zion had carefully circled to define their ranges. It was meant to help them avoid trouble, yet the opposite effect settled in instead. The activity was simply too dense.

What worried Maxwell most was how close some of the markings were to their temporary shelter. A river flowed nearby, and any water source was prime territory. Displaced wild animals and monsters would inevitably be drawn there, competing for control, and that placed them dangerously close to the camp itself.

"Yeah. We need to warn everyone not to drink straight from the river," Zion said, forcing his breathing to steady. "It has to be boiled first. Some monsters and wild animals have started nesting near the water source, and there’s a real chance they’re carrying parasites. If we use the same water without treating it, we’re asking for trouble." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

He paused, then added, "There aren’t any other water sources nearby, so we don’t have a choice. What makes it worse is that some of those nests are upstream."

Zion didn’t hesitate to say it. This was an information Maxwell needed to know. Holding back just to gain credit or to look better in front of Addison would be beyond foolish. It would put everyone at risk.

"You’re right," Maxwell said with a firm nod. "Discuss this with the other Alphas. I’ll brief the team heading out with me. We’ll be back by tomorrow morning, at the latest."

With that, he turned and strode off toward the second unit under his command.

Zion watched him go, then turned back to his own team that just come back from the outside. Every one of them looked utterly spent, faces drawn, their bare skin damp with sweat, like they’d just survived a brutal marathon. Some were already seated on the ground, heads bowed as they fought to catch their breath.

"You all did well," Zion said, his voice steady but warm. "Get something to eat first, then return to your tents and rest for the night. You’ve earned it."

"Thank you, Alpha Zion!" the warriors called respectfully.

Once they left, Zion turned toward the riverbank for a quick bath. Cleaned and refreshed, he didn’t linger; he headed straight to the patrol team to oversee the temporary shelter. With monster activity growing restless and spreading wider, there was no time to rest.

Levi was still tied up managing supplies and coordinating the people inside, so Zion couldn’t leave the patrols in his place.