Chapter 1370: Three Ice Power After everyone had left, Kai stayed behind, pacing slowly as he made call after call, checking in on multiple fronts. His first priority was Slough. He needed to make sure nothing strange was happening in the city while he and the others were away. The rest of the Howlers were still active back home, and if something went down, if one of the rival groups made a move, he had to know. He couldn’t afford any surprises, not now. Next, he called up his connections to check on the Lupus faction and any activity near the Ruins. ‘Still nothing,’ Kai thought, sighing quietly. ‘But that’s to be expected. If Unzoku is going to strike, it’ll be on the night of the full moon. They wouldn’t need to move in early.’ He bit the inside of his cheek. ‘I want to send someone from the Howlers over there… just to be safe. But anyone strong enough to handle what might be waiting, sending them in would be way too dangerous. Still, I can’t shake this feeling… like Unzoku is definitely planning to make his move there.’ Agitated and restless, Kai finally decided to stop overthinking and take action. He ventured outside, away from the area where Gary and the others were training. The ground beneath his feet shifted from soil to solid cement as he stepped into a different part of the manor grounds. This was another specially prepared zone, cleared, reinforced, and set up for combat training. And today, Kai had a different plan for how it would be used. Not long after he arrived, two figures stepped into the area, Apollo and Ice. “We heard you wanted to meet us here?” Apollo asked as they approached, his voice casual but curious. Since the first day they had joined the Howlers and moved into the manor, Apollo and Ice had been at each other’s throats almost non-stop. Fighting, training, clashing. Sometimes the cold in the manor would spike so much that no one could tell if the heating was broken, or if the frost spreading along the walls was a direct result of one of their clashes. And it wasn’t just the cold. You could feel the vibrations rumble through the floorboards, no matter which room you were in. They weren’t just powerful. They were forces. Together, Apollo and Ice had quickly become two of the biggest and most valuable additions to the Howlers. And that wasn’t just because of their fighting skill, it was because of their elemental powers. Both of them were tied to ice. “Your abilities… they’re both based on the same element,” Kai began, facing the two of them. “You’ve had your powers longer than I’ve had mine. You’ve trained with them, mastered them. I want to learn from you.” He stepped back and nodded. “For now, just do what you normally do. Fight. Show me how you use your powers. I’ll watch and figure out what I can.” It didn’t take long for the two of them to clash. Apollo and Ice were more than ready. As soon as Kai gave the silent signal, they launched into action. Ice, wielding his massive club, swung with precision and weight, while Apollo transformed his hands into powerful, oversized paws and caught the weapon mid-air. There was no hesitation. The two titans moved with raw instinct, their bodies colliding and sliding as frost built up around their feet. Every movement, every blow was backed by the sharp chill of their elemental powers. They were strong, undeniably strong, and their styles reflected that. Apollo relied on brute strength and aggressive strikes, while Ice used careful timing and the sheer reach of his weapon. The way they used their ice-based abilities blended seamlessly with their fighting techniques. The cold flared with each swing, each punch, each impact that rattled the ground. But as Kai observed closely, he couldn’t help but notice something else. The way they fought, the way they integrated their powers, was nothing like how he used his own. Kai’s strength lay in speed. Precision. Fluid motion. He didn’t have the same kind of overwhelming force they carried into every move. Eventually, the battle began to slow. Their breath came in heavier clouds, and their bodies showed subtle signs of fatigue. If it continued, it would only end in injury, and that was the last thing Kai wanted. “Alright, that’s enough!” Kai called out, stepping between them. “I think I’ve seen what I needed to see.” He paused for a moment, then asked, “Were your elemental powers always strong from the beginning? Or did they grow over time?” Apollo was the first to respond, glancing sideways at Ice. “I’m not sure about this weakling,” he said with a smirk, “but mine were strong from day one.” “Mine were strong from the beginning too,” Ice replied calmly. “But they did grow stronger over time. I pushed my body beyond its limits through transformation… and that’s when I first discovered I had elemental powers at all.” Kai raised an eyebrow. “Wait, your name is Ice and you only discovered your ice powers later?” Apollo asked, half-laughing. “That name was given to me by others,” Ice said quietly. “It’s not my real name. I… chose to throw it away. I didn’t think I deserved it after what I did.” His voice didn’t waver, but something in the air did, a sudden coldness, not from power but from memory. It was easy to forget, sometimes, just how calm and gentle Ice usually seemed. Easy to forget why he had been the one sent to prison… while Apollo, despite his brashness, never had. Kai looked down at his own hand, curling and uncurling his fingers. “And now, you can use your ice powers without even transforming, right?” he asked. Ice nodded. Kai took a deep breath and focused, trying to do the same, trying to draw out his elemental energy without transforming his body. He concentrated, staring at his hand… But nothing happened. No cold. No flicker. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚 Just silence. “I guess…” Kai muttered, still staring at his hand, “when I can use my elemental power on its own, without transforming, that’ll mean I’ve reached the next level. I’ll be able to control it better, access more of it… not just rely on brute strength when I shift.” That was one thing Apollo and Ice actually agreed on. They both nodded silently in response. “If you can’t use your ice powers now,” Ice said, stepping forward, “then you’ll need to push yourself until you can. Get to that point of pressure, where the power is forced to come out. Then try to filter it, piece by piece, until you can summon it without needing to transform.” Kai was taking it all in, but there was something that stuck out to him, something that made his path feel even more uncertain. From everything he’d just learned, both Ice and Apollo had only truly awakened their powers when they were thrown into extreme, life-threatening situations. Moments where there was no other option but to unleash everything they had. “Honestly,” Kai said, his voice dropping into a more thoughtful tone, “I don’t even know if what applies to Altered applies to me. I got my powers in a… different way.” He sighed, shaking his head. “But I don’t really have a choice, do I?” There was a fire starting to build in his chest now, restlessness and determination mixing into something dangerous. “Alright then,” Kai said, rolling his shoulders back. “I guess I’ll just have to fight both of you. If I want to be anywhere near Gary’s level, then taking you two down sounds like a good place to start.” There was a beat of silence. Then, laughter. Both Ice and Apollo cracked up at the same time, their disbelief and amusement echoing across the training ground. “After seeing what we just did?” Apollo said, grinning wide. “You really think you can take on the two of us?” He cracked his knuckles. “Alright then, bring it on.” ** ** For updates on My Werewolf System and other future works, be sure to follow me on social media: *Instagram: @jksmanga * P.a.t.r.e.o.n: jksmanga When news drops about My Vampire System, My Werewolf System, or any of my upcoming series, you’ll hear it there first. Feel free to reach out. If I’m not too busy, I usually reply. **