My Werewolf System

Chapter 1818  The Last Warning

Lupus stood on both of his feet, though the ground beneath him felt distant and unsteady. It was a strange, unsettling sensation; his motor functions were still intact, but he could feel that his body was completely and utterly drained of its essence. Every cell seemed to be gasping for the energy he had just expended.

This profound exhaustion was why he was currently unable to transform. Even the thought of shifting his shape felt like trying to move a mountain with a silken thread. He wondered for a moment whether this was a temporary state of burnout or a permanent change to his biology, but he quickly shoved the thought aside. None of that mattered at the moment. He had more immediate, grim business to attend to.

Walking slowly through the debris-strewn field, Lupus made his way toward the body lying motionless on the ground. The cold wind of Ruin City whipped around his human frame, a stark contrast to the radiating heat of the Leviathan form he had just shed.

“I need to let the Howlers know what happened here, so they can go after Unzoku as soon as possible,” Lupus muttered to himself, his voice raspy and thin. “Right now, he is at his weakest. It’s their perfect chance to take him out, as he’s surely still injured from the frost that reached his core. But just in case, I need to prepare for the worst as well. If they can’t get to him in time, he might find a way to try and get even stronger than before. I’m not sure if my powers will have returned by then, or if they will return at all before they have to face him.”

Reaching down, Lupus felt a sharp pang of grief. There was nothing left to gather of Galdark’s head after Unzoku’s brutal strike, but the man’s body remained. Lupus leaned down and lifted him off the ground, picking him up with a strength born of pure willpower. He stumbled slightly, his human legs shaking under the weight.

He gathered what little strength remained in his trembling legs and forced himself to move forward, one agonizing step at a time.

“I’m not sure I would have been able to bring that power out of me if it wasnʼt for your death,” Lupus claimed, looking down at the remains of his advisor. “You did your job until the very end, Galdark. You helped protect me and the future of our kind until your final breath. I will make sure that the next bookkeeper remembers your sacrifice. Your name will not be lost to the ruins.”

Eventually, walking to where the hidden trap door was located, Lupus used his shoulder to heave it open and descended into the darkness of the stairs. The werewolves who had remained underground were already gathered there. They had seen Lupus fight on the monitors—at least until the cameras had been destroyed by the violent shockwaves of the battle above.

“Make sure to give Galdark a proper burial, and inform the next bookkeeper of their duties immediately. I’m sure Galdark had already informed them of everything that needed to be done in the event of his passing,” Lupus said, his voice carrying an authority that transcended his weakened physical state.

“Also, I need a message to be delivered to the Howlers.” Lupus spoke loudly, ensuring everyone heard the urgent details of Unzoku’s retreat. The others were quickly on their phones, fingers flying across screens as they sent the message, trying to bridge the distance to the other side as quickly as possible.

“And there’s one more message,” Lupus added, his eyes narrowing. “Tell them that I have a delivery that they might need. They need to stay in contact so we can coordinate getting it to them as soon as I’m done.”

After passing off Galdark’s body to the waiting hands of the pack, Lupus turned away from the living quarters and headed toward the heat of the forge. He had asked some of the others to bring him a massive amount of food to help fuel the grueling work ahead.

He had work to do. He needed to finish the pieces of equipment he had been crafting for both Kai and Gary. If Unzoku was going to return stronger than the monster Lupus had just faced, then the Howlers would certainly need every advantage the ancient smithing techniques could provide.

‘I can’t waste even a second,’ Lupus said to himself, picking up the heavy blacksmith’s hammer. His muscles screamed in protest, but he ignored them. ‘I will get these pieces done, even if I pass out at the anvil!’

The sound of the hammer bashing away at the metal began to ring out, a rhythmic song of defiance echoing through the underground halls.

Miles away, Unzoku continued to flee through the darkness. As he ran, his body was slowly recovering from the internal freezing Lupus had inflicted upon him. The ice was thawing, and he was able to move faster again with every passing mile.

His external wounds were starting to recover, but more than any physical pain, his mind was a complete mess. He was reeling from the implications of what had just occurred in the castle ruins.

‘Not just one, but two now are able to go against my powers?’ Unzoku thought, his breath hitching. ‘How is that possible? How have they figured out a way? And those forms they have... they arenʼt human, and they arenʼt standard werewolves. Both of them almost felt like... a Dragon.’

Unzoku’s eyes widened as that specific thought took root in his mind.

‘Is that how? Is that how they are able to repel my powers? But how is that even possible? Dragons donʼt even exist anymore... is someone helping them? Is there a third party I donʼt know about?’ He growled, the red mist around him flaring with his agitation. ‘Screw it. Screw it all! If I canʼt use my powers to beat them, then I have to use everything I have. I will use every last bit of essence I can find to make myself stronger. I will eliminate them all with my own hands!’

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