As Gary locked eyes on Kai, he could see almost no trace of the friend he had once built the Howlers with. The wolf before him was a creature of frenzy, a beast stripped of reason. There was no room for words, no chance for logic to pierce through. Gary knew this feeling intimately, he had been in that state himself before. He understood it all too well.
Still, he hoped for something, anything. A system notification. A quest prompt. A lifeline. It had been so long since the system had given him anything of worth, and though he understood why, he couldn’t help but wish for it now.
The system had once been his guide, rewarding him with quests that honed his body, unlocking new skills, raising stats, and shaping him into the Alpha he was now. But eventually, he had reached the end. He had maxed out every stat. Mastered every skill. There was nothing left for the system to grant him.
Now, the only way to grow stronger was to consume incredibly high-level Altered, or to defeat opponents of terrifying caliber. That path had long since become clear. But there were other avenues too, outside the system’s grasp.
Qi. Weapons. The things I’ve learned beyond what the system could give me. With my Qi, with my hammer... I can still make a difference.
Marie was the first to move. Her body tensed and then she leapt forward, her powerful legs carrying her high into the air. Her hope was simple, that her Luna form might calm him, that her presence might be enough to pierce through the haze of his frenzy. And even if it wasn’t, she believed her Luna-forged defenses could withstand the first blows, giving her the chance to grab him and force him down.
But Kai didn’t even look at her. He ignored her completely. His instincts had locked onto one target, and in the next instant he exploded forward, straight at Gary.
Gary reacted instantly, summoning his war hammer into his hands, Qi surging down his arms. He swung it up, moving faster than most could see, but even so, it wasn’t fast enough.
Kai’s massive wolf head crashed into him, and protruding from his skull was a hardened spike of ice, sharp and deadly, like the horn of a unicorn. The spike drove into Gary’s chest with brutal force.
The impact was devastating. Gary’s body was hurled backward, bouncing across the battlefield like a ragdoll, his hammer tearing into the ground as he tumbled.
The notification burned in his mind.
‘That... that’s one of the hardest blows I’ve ever taken. Even with my endurance, even with the war hammer’s power running through me... with my health and stamina, I can’t withstand many more hits like that.’
Gary forced himself up, chest heaving, blood dripping from the wound that was already starting to freeze over. Ice crystals spread outward from the puncture, creeping over his skin, but his body was slowly healing, regenerating just enough to keep him on his feet.
Adam moved then. Without hesitation, his tentacles lashed out like monstrous whips, eight in total, striking down with terrifying speed. The air cracked as they descended, each blow powerful enough to shatter stone.
At first, Kai managed to dodge, his speed as blistering as ever, his body weaving between strikes. But Adam’s tentacles weren’t just fast, they were relentless. Wide, sweeping arcs closed off escape angles, smashing into the ground with thunderous force. One finally caught Kai across the back, slamming him into the earth, the ground cratering beneath the impact. Another followed, then another, striking him again and again, each hit forcing him deeper into the rubble.
Dust rose into the air, the ground trembling under the assault.
But then, Kai’s eyes glowed brighter, a searing red. His body twisted, and shards of ice burst from his back like volleys of arrows. They flew in every direction, piercing through Adam’s tentacles with terrifying precision. Wherever the shards embedded, frost spread rapidly, freezing flesh and cutting off movement.
Adam’s face hardened. He could feel his limbs stiffening, the freezing overtaking his strength. Kai crouched low, preparing to pounce, and Adam knew he had only seconds. He spat out a thick cloud of ink, the smoke spreading quickly, cloaking the battlefield in darkness.
For a heartbeat, he thought it might work.
But the smoke parted with a sudden blur of movement, and Kai was already through. His horn gleamed with ice once more, aimed directly for Adam’s chest.
“Adam!” Marie shouted.
She was there in an instant, throwing herself between them. The horn smashed into her Luna-forged armor, the metallic sheen of her body flaring bright. Sparks scattered as the blow struck, the armor absorbing the worst of it. She lunged, hands outstretched, trying to grab hold of Kai, to restrain him.
But as though his instincts warned him, Kai recoiled, leaping back before her fingers could close around him. His body twisted mid-air, landing gracefully on all fours, hackles raised.
Gary staggered forward, gripping his hammer once again. Blood still dripped down his chest, but his eyes burned with resolve. He couldn’t stop. He couldn’t let fear take him, not now, not against Kai. This wasn’t just for the Howlers. This was for Kai himself.
He swung the hammer down, the ground cracking beneath the strike. Though it missed Kai directly, the weapon’s power erupted outward. A shockwave blasted through the air, slamming into Kai and sending him tumbling sideways. His body skidded across the battlefield before he rolled back to his feet, growling.
Gary’s shoulders rose and fell heavily. His chest ached, every breath burning. Kai was injured, but barely. The beast shook his head, snarling, red eyes locked onto them.
Gary tightened his grip on the hammer, forcing down the fear clawing at him.
“This... isn’t going to be easy at all,” he muttered. “He’s just too damned fast.”
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