Chapter 1375: The Dangerous Search The system wasn’t just for Gary, it allowed him limited control over his pack members too. One of those features was the ability to assign pawn points to upgrade their rankings and evolve their classes. Because of this, Gary could see every single member of his pack. But not Kai. Kai’s name was missing. This was something Gary had decided to keep to himself for now, not wanting to panic the others as they continued their search. He wouldn’t say anything. He wouldn’t crush their hope. Not unless he saw a body and confirmed it with his own eyes. The search had moved away from the manor and into the dense forest. The worry in Gary’s chest grew heavier with every step, and it showed in his voice. “Stay closer together!” Gary barked. “These trees are too thick, it’s hard to see! If someone’s drifting too far, pull them back in.” They continued through the woods, but the area was massive. “Park!” Gary suddenly shouted. “What are you doing? I told you not to go that far out!” “Sorry,” Park replied, startled. He quickly moved closer to the group. He thought he was still within the range Gary had originally set. He wasn’t a machine, he couldn’t measure distance perfectly. But none of them argued back. They all knew Gary wasn’t mad, he was worried. With how tightly packed they were, the search was going to take a while. For now, they were trusting Olivia, their best tracker and a Hunter class werewolf. Gary’s mind was fried, he couldn’t even trust his own sense of smell right now. “To your right!” Gary called out sharply, reacting to the sound of rustling leaves. Everyone spun around, ready to strike, , but stepping out from behind one of the trees was Apollo. His body was bruised, scratched, and he was limping slightly. “The whole gang’s here?” Apollo said, trying to smile through the pain. “Guess that means you already know what happened.” “What happened to you?” Innu asked, eyes wide. “I got tossed, hard, by that monster. Honestly, I’ve never been thrown so far in my life. Pretty sure I saw stars before I crashed down in the woods.” Apollo chuckled, but winced mid-laugh. “I’m hurt, but I’ll survive. It’ll take a lot more than that to kill me.” The group finally had one of the two missing people accounted for, and the sight of Apollo alive filled them with hope. If Apollo had made it… Then maybe Kai had, too. Surely if Unzoku had wanted to eliminate them all, he could’ve done it. But he hadn’t. “So you’re looking for Kai?” Apollo said. “I won’t be much help in the search, but I’ll stay with the group.” They pushed forward, following Olivia’s lead. The fact that she was still tracking something meant Kai had left behind a scent trail strong enough to follow. But it made Gary wonder, why had Unzoku dragged him so deep into the forest? To make it harder to find him? To buy time for whatever he needed to do? Too many questions were swirling through Gary’s head, and none of them brought him comfort. The only person he wanted to talk to right now, was Kai. And that’s when Olivia stopped. She froze mid-step and pointed straight ahead. “He’s there,” she gasped. “He’s there, right there!” The group turned and looked toward an open circular patch among the trees. There he was. On his knees. His back to them. Hunched over. Motionless. He’s alive… he’s right there. He’s actually alive! Gary’s heart was racing. He made it! “Kai!” Marie cried out, her emotions getting the better of her as she broke into a run. “NO!” a voice bellowed. It was Kai. His voice was loud and clear, powerful enough to shake the trees. The leaves rustled from the force of it, and Marie came to a sudden stop. “All of you, stay away!” Kai yelled. “Don’t come any closer!” There was a tremble in his voice, cracks of pain breaking through the sharp tone. “Kai,” Marie said softly, “we’ve been looking everywhere for you. We know Unzoku attacked. But we found Ice and Apollo, they’re okay. And now, seeing you… we thought you were okay too. “Come on. Let’s go back to the manor, rest, talk in the morning…” But Kai didn’t move. He didn’t even lift his head. He just shook it slowly. That’s when Gary stepped forward. He gently grabbed Marie’s hand and looked her in the eyes. Then, he let go. He walked past her and motioned to the others behind him to stay back. This was something he had to do. “Stay back! Did you not hear me? I’m telling you to stay away!” Kai shouted again. “I’m sorry, Kai,” Gary said, voice steady. “But this time, I’m not going to listen to you.” “You’d understand… because I know you wouldn’t listen either if the roles were reversed.” As Gary walked slowly forward, Kai curled up tighter. His head buried in his knees. His shoulders shaking. When Gary finally reached him, he stopped. Kai was kneeling there. No blood around him. No wounds. He seemed physically okay. But something was off. “I’m sorry, Gary…” Kai whispered, his voice broken and raw. “I’m sorry… I never expected this to happen.” Hearing Kai like that, sobbing, nearly shattered Gary’s heart. Had he ever seen Kai like this? The one who always held it together. Always led with strength. And yet, now… he was completely undone. “But I don’t know how to deal with this one,” Kai said. “I don’t know how to fix this problem…” He lifted his head slowly. His eyes met Gary’s. And that’s when it hit Gary like a punch to the chest, why things felt different. Why Kai had disappeared from the system. Even now, standing this close, the scent wafting from him wasn’t familiar. Kai’s eyes were glowing red. *** For updates on MWS and future works, follow me on my social media below. Instagram: jksmanga *Patreon: jksmanga When news drops about My Vampire System, My Werewolf System, or any other series, you’ll hear it there first. Feel free to reach out, if I’m not too busy, I usually reply.