Chapter 1400: Shields and Sacrifice With the Howlers’ current plan, a little luck was always going to be involved. That was the truth. Because, when it came down to it, they had no way of knowing how Lupus or the rest of his forces would react. They were aware that the enemy had already taken a significant hit, most of the Ironfangs had been taken out and could no longer fight, but that didn’t mean they were in the clear. There were still Ironfang warriors and other dangerous werewolves scattered throughout the enemy ranks. They had to be wary, especially of Ylva and Lupus themselves. Depending on where those two appeared, it was entirely possible that whole groups of Howlers could be wiped out in moments. Communication during a battle was already limited, and whether they could speak at all during the chaos would determine just how bad things got. There were too many variables, too many possible outcomes. In the end, if things became overwhelming, if it was simply too much, Gary had issued a single command to every group: retreat to the top of the restaurant at the hill. That was where Gary had stationed himself, where they would all regroup if the fight turned for the worse. As for the location Gary had chosen, it was far from secure. In fact, it had its own dangerous setup. Three powerful Altered had come to aid the Howlers, and they were stationed there alongside him. Those three were Gary’s AFA allies, Ian, Numba, and Izzy. Fighting by their side were the regular members of the Howlers group. Like the others, they were equipped with Anti-Altered weapons, the best that money could buy, scavenged from defeated Altered Hunters or purchased from the underground black market. The restaurant had been turned into a fortress. On the second floor, there was a wide balcony where a large number of ranged weapon users had been stationed. Meanwhile, inside the restaurant, others were positioned among makeshift traps and armed with high-damage weapons, ready for close-range combat. On the ground floor, the AFA students and others who could actually fight, or were simply brave enough to try, were ready. And thanks to Austin’s leadership earlier, the way he had led the enemies toward this point had worked in their favor. Due to the restaurant’s elevated position on a hill-like area of the park, the werewolves could initially approach from only one direction. It gave the defenders the perfect terrain advantage. But the werewolves had arrived. They were among them now, rushing into the field, clawed limbs tearing into the ground as they charged. Innu was already in action, using his bristles, throwing them out in clusters at the oncoming beasts. Numba, adapting quickly, picked up the bristles scattered on the ground and hurled them back at full force. Izzy joined the effort, launching sharp strands of her hair toward the attackers like spears. The Howler members did their best to fire upon the enemy. But even with preparation and weapons, it wasn’t enough. The sheer number, skill, and strength of the attacking werewolves were too much. They had reached the frontline quickly, quicker than expected. Numba transformed and kicked off the ground, landing a clean hit on a werewolf’s gut, sending it flying backward. Ian appeared above, jumping from behind Numba and launching a bristle right into the mouth of another beast. Meanwhile, Izzy used her hair to grab a werewolf by the leg, slamming it into the ground with a loud crack. The three of them had fought together before. They knew how to cover one another, how to move in sync. Their synergy was paying off now, but there was a limit. Unlike legendary Altereds with large-area control like Ice, their powers worked well only in close or single-target situations. They couldn’t help everyone, not with what was coming. The werewolves were relentless. Some leapt straight through the defenses, knocking Anti-Altered weapons aside with one arm. Then, with the other, they pierced clean through Howler members’ bodies. Others, particularly dangerous ones with different class abilities, hurled their sharpened nails like projectiles, striking defenders on the second floor, one after another, directly in the head. Deaths came in a flash. The Howler members weren’t Altered Hunters. They didn’t know Qi. They weren’t trained fighters who battled Altereds every day. They were fighters, yes, but barely above street brawlers who had been handed Anti-Altered weapons and told to hold the line. And against actual werewolves? They didn’t stand a chance. From the rooftop, Gary saw everything. He could see his loyal members being slaughtered one by one, and it burned inside him. It ached like nothing else. This is just like when the Phoenix Gang attacked… Gary thought. Back then, the regular people couldn’t do anything either. Even though we have Altered fighters now, we don’t have enough to take on Lupus’s massive army. So once again, we’re being forced to use regular people as shields…just to buy time. He clenched his fists hard. So hard, his knuckles turned white. He didn’t know what to do. What was the right move? The last time something like this had happened, back with the Phoenix Gang, the situation had been resolved by turning some of their most loyal members into werewolves themselves. Most of that newly turned group had left for another city. Only a small handful of the original core remained hidden in Slough. But now, what could they do in the face of this? Gary could only imagine the same thing happening to every Howler group across the city. All of them, overwhelmed. Down on the battlefield, it didn’t take long before one of the werewolves spotted something unusual. A werewolf with sharp eyesight glanced up at the rooftop. “Hey, Slit!” the werewolf shouted to an Ironfang who was nearby, helping lead the charge. “Isn’t that… Gary Dem? The Alpha of the Howlers? That’s the one we were after, right? Should I go find Lupus or Ylva and tell them he’s here? If he joins the fight, we’ll be in trouble, right?” Slit smiled. Only a few of the werewolves actually knew the real reason for today’s attack. As one of the Ironfangs, Slit knew everything. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶 “Don’t worry,” Slit replied, stepping forward. “We can handle this ourselves. I’ll take out Gary. “Because there’s not a single thing he can do to stop me.” As he spoke, Slit drew his weapons, twin daggers known as the Eclipse Blades. **** **** For updates for MWS and future works, please follow me on my social media below. Instagram: Jksmanga P.a.t.r.e.o.n: jksmanga When news of MVS, MWS or any other series comes out, you will be able to see it there first, and you can reach out to me. 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