Chapter 1350: Forcing A Change (Part 2) Unzoku stood completely still, his hand hovering over Gary’s head. His massive form radiated confusion. Something had just happened, something that made no sense even to him. In all his long existence, nothing like this had ever occurred. Not once. He was the first of his kind. Born of power gifted by his creator. A being who had shaped the very essence of the werewolf bloodline. Each werewolf in existence, every Alpha, every Beta, was linked to him. Born from him. Shaped by him. His energy flowed through all of them. And with that energy, Unzoku could bend them. Control them. Shape their instincts. Set rules they couldn’t break. Force actions they couldn’t stop. But he always had to be careful. His power, vast as it was, had limits. Energy wasn’t infinite, not anymore. So he used it surgically, always aiming for maximum destruction with minimal effort. Turning Gary into a mindless Alpha, feral and bloodthirsty, would’ve been easy. One push. One surge of energy. Gary would’ve become a walking disaster, tearing through everything. And once he clashed with the other Alpha? It would’ve triggered chaos everywhere. Total war. Unzoku had already seen it unfolding in his mind. Cities burning. Packs tearing each other apart. All from a single infected spark. But now… nothing. The energy he had poured into Gary had simply, vanished. Dispersed. Like it had been rejected. Unzoku tried again. The marking on his hand flared to life, swirling with violent energy. He pushed it toward Gary, but it scattered once more. Like dust caught in a wind it couldn’t resist. This wasn’t random. This wasn’t a fluke. For some reason, the boy in front of him, this werewolf, this Alpha, was immune. He couldn’t be controlled. “How can this be?!” Unzoku’s voice thundered, rattling the branches of the nearby trees. “You are not celestial… I knowyou’re not. That energy wasn’t celestial, and you lack the mark of the gods. So how… how did you reject my power?!” The pressure around Gary was still immense. He couldn’t move. Could barely breathe. The swirling energy that wrapped around his body like a storm anchor kept him paralyzed. But his mind was racing. ‘That message…’ [Resistance to Celestial Energy has been activated] Gary’s thoughts spun. ‘So that guy wasn’t lying. He really is some kind of god, or close to it. But I remember now… I got that resistance stat not too long ago.’ Back then, it hadn’t seemed important. Just another confusing message from the system. He’d assumed it was useless. Another passive skill with no immediate benefit. ‘I got it after I consumed Harvor… but Harvor wasn’t a celestial. He was part dragon, or something close to it. Why would that give me celestial resistance?’ There was no time to dwell on it. No time to make sense of the chaos. All Gary knew for sure was this: whatever was protecting him now, it was working. It had stopped Unzoku. That had to count for something. “Unzoku,” Gary gritted out through clenched teeth, “it doesn’t have to be this way.” The words barely made it out. He still couldn’t move. Still couldn’t transform. All that power inside him, and none of it responding. “I’ll help you. I’ll do what you ask. But does it really have to end in blood? In everyone dying? Don’t you want to protect your own? Those who came from you?” He was stalling. Hoping for something. Anything. Unzoku’s eyes flared with rage. “You speak as though we are the same. As though your pathetic existence gives you the right to reason with me.” The power in his voice was like thunder rolling over mountains. “You are a child. A flicker in time. I have existed longer than your species has had names for the stars. You know nothingof what I carry. Of what I must do. And if I cannot make you obey… then I will erase you.” Unzoku drew his hand back, fingers tightening, ready to strike. Gary’s heart pounded. He had maybe seconds left. ‘Wait, if my resistance came from consuming Harvor… then maybe…’ A wild, desperate thought flickered into his mind. It was insane. A long shot. But he had no time to debate it. Then Unzoku froze. He lifted his nose. Sniffed the air. Gary felt it too, faint at first, then stronger. A scent on the wind. Unzoku smiled, his long red tongue slithering out and dragging across his sharp teeth. “It appears… we have company.” Gary forced his neck to twist. Just barely. Pain stabbed through his muscles, but he moved, finally. Then he caught the scent too. Familiar. All too familiar. “No. No, no, no. What are you doing here?!” Gary shouted, his voice cracking. Two figures were tearing through the forest. Xin and Kai. Their forms weaving between trees, eyes wide and searching. They hadn’t seen what they were running into. Not yet. “STOP!” Gary screamed. They halted, about fifty meters away. Close enough to see him, not close enough to understand the full threat. Kai had already transformed, full wolf form, fur bristling, eyes sharp. Xin stood beside him, partially shifted, claws extended, her eyes flicking across the scene. Kai’s voice was low, tense. “Crap. I knew something was wrong.” Xin stared ahead. “What… what is that thing? Is it one of us? It doesn’t smell like us.” Unzoku began to laugh. A deep, slow, guttural sound that made the trees tremble. “My powers may not work on you,” he said to Gary, “but them? Oh, them I can twist. I can tear. I can remake them as I see fit.” He licked the side of his snout, long teeth glinting in the moonlight. He took one step forward. That was all Gary needed. “STAY AWAY FROM THEM!!” he roared. [Forced unlock: Shadow Ash Lycan form] [To: Golden Ash Lycan form] [2/5 Uses remaining] ***** Follow for updates on MWS, MVS, and future works: Instagram: @jksmanga Patreon: jksmanga Early news, behind-the-scenes posts, and I reply when I can!