At her feet, fourteen specimens of Time Hounds are neatly arranged.
Including the old Dog King, all elite individuals are preserved in an unimaginable manner.
They maintain their form from when they were alive, but their bodies have become semi-transparent, completely drained of their internal energy and essence.
The once powerful predators now stand silently on display, like exhibits in a museum.
Their eyes are still open, with despair lingering in their pupils.
The Witch seems to sense its presence and slowly turns around.
A young and beautiful face, but her gaze is as cold as ice.
"There’s still one little fish that hasn’t taken the bait yet."
Her voice is gentle and pleasing, yet to the Dog King’s ears it sounds like the whisper of death:
"It seems my ’performance’ wasn’t convincing enough to save you from disaster."
It is only now that the Dog King realizes the so-called "dying remnants" in the pack’s information was, from the beginning, a trap set by this Witch.
She exploited the Time Hounds’ gluttonous nature, deliberately displaying a facade of weakness to lure the elite individuals from the pack to hunt.
Then, at the most critical moment, she revealed her true strength, capturing all the hunters in one fell swoop.
Time Hounds are accustomed to reigning supreme in the river of time, never imagining they’d become someone else’s prey.
"I am Erica, the ’Clock Witch’, and perhaps someday the Wizard World will call me the ’King of Time Alignment’..."
The woman introduces herself indifferently, meanwhile caressing the silver scepter in her hand:
"That recent pack hunt was indeed somewhat dangerous.
Fortunately, the time essence of your pack is quite remarkable, particularly that of the Dog King..."
She gestures toward the largest specimen, her tone imbued with the pleasure of savoring a fine meal:
"Its time core is like aged wine, perfect for crafting the special tool I need."
Erica raises the scepter, and the power of time begins to flow upon its shaft.
The glows are as viscous as mercury, exuding an aura that instinctively terrifies Time Hounds.
"However, leaving one alive isn’t bad either."
She gazes at the trembling Dog King, a hint of amusement in her eyes:
"You can return to tell other pack members that the river of time is not your private domain.
When you think you’re the hunter, the real hunter has already sighted you."
With that, Erica starts to collect her "spoils."
Under her control, the enormous body of the old Dog King gradually shrinks, eventually turning into a mass of silver metal.
The specimens of other elite individuals are also processed in turn, their time essence extracted and injected into the metal mass.
Throughout the process, Erica’s movements are graceful and skillful, akin to an artistic creation.
Yet it can only watch from afar, lacking even the courage to flee.
It knows that in the face of such an overwhelming disparity in power, any attempt at resistance or escape is futile.
If Erica wanted to kill it, she wouldn’t need to exert any effort.
Leaving it alive is merely to serve as a messenger.
When the last specimen is processed, Erica gazes in satisfaction at the exquisite silver Pocket Watch in her hand.
The Pocket Watch’s surface is smooth as a mirror, with its intricate internal mechanisms visible in precise operation.
"Perfect creation."
She gently caresses the surface of the Pocket Watch, speaking with some satisfaction: "This will be my new companion and can serve as an artifact of legacy."
Then, Erica leaves without a backward glance.
......
Memory ends, yet the Dog King remains trapped in that profound terror, unable to extricate itself.
From that day forth, it comprehends a harsh truth:
In this universe, Time Hounds have never been at the top of the food chain.
Above them lie even more dreadful beings, who regard them as raw materials and tools.
And Erica is the most terrifying one it has encountered.
She knows the behavioral patterns, psychological weaknesses, and even the dormancy mechanisms of the pack, all too well.
This understanding allowed her plans to precisely strike at the heart.
"I have struggled hard to climb to this position..."
The Dog King thinks bitterly to itself.
After that disaster, the Time Hound pack plunged into unprecedented chaos.
With the loss of the old Dog King and most elite individuals, the entire species nearly faced collapse.
It was the one who re-integrated the remaining forces amidst the ruins, led the surviving hounds through the toughest times.
Following nearly two epochs of effort, it finally ascended to the position of Dog King, becoming the new ruler of the pack.
This position was hard-won, costing it countless blood, sweat, and tears.
And as one of the significant existences in the river of time, it is now partly an immortal being.
As long as it doesn’t consciously tread into danger, it can perpetuate eternally in the river of time.
Power, status, almost limitless lifespan... these are the precious assets it now possesses.
"Why risk it all for a few hounds?"
The more the Dog King thinks, the more foolish its recent hunting impulse seems.
If that young wizard genuinely has ties to Erica, approaching him is akin to delivering oneself unto death.
Considering Erica’s slyness, it is entirely possible she left some sort of trap in her relic, expressly waiting for its arrival.
Recollecting her absolute overpowering of the Time Hound pack in the past.
Now, it would likely just be a slightly larger ant in front of her.