The battle between the Howlers and Lupusâs pack had reached a brutal midpoint.
Three hours.
Thatâs how long the Howlers had held their ground. Thatâs how long they had survived.
And yet, several lives had already been lost.
Not just the humans among them, but Altered too. Powerful ones. Friends. Brothers. Gone.
Still, it felt like a miracle. A small one, maybe, but to Gary, it was something. Something worth holding onto.
He didnât know how they were still standing. How they were still pushing back. But they were. Somehow, they were.
Above his head, Gary spun his war hammer several times in a blur. He was surrounded on all sides by three werewolves. Before they could lunge, he slammed the hammer into the ground.
A violent shockwave erupted outward, bursting with energy. It sent the trio flying across the pavement.
But they got up again, quickly.
Too quickly.
And Gary knew why.
Lunaâs possessive spell... It was binding them. Strengthening them. Keeping them moving even when they shouldâve been down.
âDamn it,â Gary thought, gritting his teeth. Theyâre forcing me to use more energy... techniques that burn through my Qi faster. Is this intentional? A tactic to drain me?
He desummoned the war hammer in frustration, switching to a mix of hand-to-hand and weapon combat. He had to conserve what he could.
Even though the sun would rise soon, allowing him to transform again, he wouldnât gain any energy regeneration until then. At this rate, he might run dry before that moment even came.
Then... it happened.
Gary paused. His eyes drifted upward. The air shifted.
And it wasnât just him who felt it.
All across the battlefield, every werewolf, enemy and ally alike, froze.
There was something different now. Something in the air. The wind carried a scent. A presence.
To all of them... it smelled like an intruder.
No... it canât be, Gary thought, eyes wide. Did he actually manage to pull it off? If I can sense him from this far away... then he must have.
Apollo stood frozen, convinced that his life was about to end, just like Iceâs had.
He had no chance against Lupus, especially not with those new powers.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Lupusâs head snapped to the side.
The air around them chilled, frost creeping in from every direction. Mist rolled across the battlefield, thick and unnatural.
And through it... a beast emerged.
It walked on all fours, stalking forward like a predator through fog.
When Lupus saw it, he immediately dropped into a fighting stance, both arms spread out wide. His fingers curled into claws, every muscle in his body tensed and ready to strike.
Those red eyes... Lupus thought, stunned. How is this possible?
This pressure... this aura... itâs the same as an Alpha. I can feel it. Whoever that is, theyâre one of us. But theyâre not from my pack... and thatâs definitely not Gary.
Another Alpha... and with ice powers, too?
Looks like itâs my lucky day.
From the mist, the wolf stepped forward, and calling it a mere "wolf" felt like an understatement.
It was massive, towering like a car, its body sleek yet densely muscled. The defining traits of a true Alpha were all there, especially the claws, which shimmered black like polished obsidian.
But the fur, oh, the fur, it was something else entirely.
It started as a deep, steely gray at the base, gradually brightening toward the edges into a pale, frosty white. In certain places, it even shimmered with a hint of icy blue.
It was beautiful.
But what truly set it apart were the wings.
Small, jagged wings stretched from either side of its back. They werenât massive, but they were striking, covered in the same pale fur that matched its frosted coat.
The wolf stepped forward.
Kai placed one paw on the ground and launched forward.
The ground beneath him exploded as he shot through the mist. Lupus barely had time to react, his body moved purely on instinct.
A second later, there was a crack of ice. A phantom sculpture, shattered into a hundred pieces.
Lupus stood in a different position now, having leapt away at the last possible second. But his eyes were locked on the beast.
It had destroyed his Phantom Pounce, an advanced technique made from solid ice.
And he hadnât even seen it move.
Kai stood in a completely different direction now, unaffected by the remnants of the phantom ice. Not a single patch of frost clung to his fur.
His body wasnât freezing over at all.
How?
âAlright... letâs try this again!â Lupus snarled, raising his arm.
He fired his nails like missiles, sharp, fast, deadly.
They struck the wolfâs body, and disappeared.
Gone. No reaction. No wound.
Before Lupus could even process what had just happened...
The giant wolf was already in front of him.
Its massive front paws slammed into Lupusâs chest, sending him flying backward.
The impact was devastating. Lupus skidded across the ground like a ragdoll, digging his claws into the dirt just to slow himself down.
When he finally stopped, he snarled and rose to his feet. His expression was no longer cocky. The amusement on his face had vanished entirely.
His chest, where the wolf had struck, was now frozen solid, encased in a sheet of ice.
âYouâre strong...â Lupus muttered, his voice low. âThis form... it has to be a True Alpha form. Itâs the only way youâre able to match up to me.â
Because what Lupus was facing...
Was Kai.
In his True Alpha form.
Kai already possessed incredible speed thanks to his unique shapeshifter class.
But after consuming the DNA of the Wyvern, he had gained not only powerful ice abilities, but the potential for something more.
Something faster. Stronger.
And now, with the True Alpha transformation fully awakened, it was clear to everyone.
But there was one more thing fueling Kaiâs power.
A secret trait of the shapeshifter class, the more werewolves present in a given area, the stronger the shapeshifter becomes.
And right now?
Kai could feel energy coursing through his body like never before.
He was faster than ever. Stronger than he had ever imagined.
And quite possibly...
The fastest werewolf alive.
****
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