Chapter 1698: The Siege of Red Wing High above the dark, blood-soaked chaos of the cavern, the city of the Red Wing Kingdom was a world apart. The guests and citizens were continuing to enjoy the great festivities, oblivious to the horror occurring beneath their very feet. The air was filled with the sounds of music and cheer as people drank away their worries, celebrating a night that was supposed to be a milestone for the kingdom. They were now gathered around a massive, roaring bonfire that had been lit exactly at midnight, its orange flames licking the night sky and casting long, dancing shadows across the cobblestone streets. Some of the more weary guests had already retired for the night and gone home, but there were still plenty who had such a good time that they were continuing to enjoy the festivities as the night progressed. To them, the world was safe and the future was bright. Still, amid the revelry, there was one group of individuals that hadn’t relaxed, and that was the special castle knights, Bluebird’s personal elite team. The knights were stationed strategically around the city, primarily concentrated in the bonfire area. This was a tactical choice, as it was where the most condensed amount of people currently were. On top of that, there was a large concentration of guards by the various entrances and tunnels that honeycombed the city. These included the paths that led directly under the cavern as well as various other secret locations, including those that led to the heart of the castle itself. Finally, a significant number of sentries were stationed along the massive outer walls, their eyes scanning the dark horizon. Bluebird was currently standing outside on the high castle wall, the wind whipping at his cloak. Lilly was by his side, her expression uncharacteristically somber. Bluebird looked far ahead, squinting into the distance as he tried his best to scan the perimeter of the city. He was also keeping a close eye on the various mages that had been placed around the rooftops. These mages had been given strict orders to provide an immediate magical signal if they spotted anything suspicious in their assigned sectors. “It’s really going to eat into the city’s budget, hiring all those extra mages just for one night,” Lilly commented, her voice light as she tried her best to lighten the heavy mood. “Right, it’s not cheap. Are you sure you don’t want a position back on the council? You were always pretty good at getting a discount from Roland,” Bluebird replied back, though his smile didn’t reach his eyes. “But it’s needed for today. If what Jack said to me is true, then we might need to come up with even more permanent measures for the future. I have a feeling that today will change the Red Wing Kingdom once again as we know it.” At that very moment, right at the base of the castle walls, the guards on duty spotted something. Far out in the darkness, there was a sudden kick-up of dust, and several pairs of glowing, predatory eyes could be seen through the gloom. They weren’t just moving; they were approaching at an incredibly fast pace, far beyond the speed of any horse. The knights quickly placed their hands right by their weapons, their knuckles whitening as they readied themselves for whatever was about to happen next. They were trained for many things, but they had never truly expected the sheer ferocity of what was to come. While they were still at a relatively far distance away, the creatures didn’t slow down for the wall. Instead, they leapt from the ground, covering a massive distance in a single bound, and clung onto the vertical stone surface. They quickly started to scale the wall at a speed that was unheard of, their claws digging into the masonry as if it were soft clay. When the creatures finally reached the battlements and flung themselves over the edge, the knights could finally see what they were dealing with. The creatures that had come to attack them were Werewolves. As soon as the werewolves landed, the knights quickly drew their weapons. The sounds of clashing steel against bone-hard claws filled the air. It was a fierce and desperate battle from the start. The knights used their numbers, with three highly trained men moving in formation for each individual werewolf. Currently, there were five werewolves that had managed to breach the top of this section of the wall. The knights were highly trained in the use of Qi, as well as complex battle formations, so they were able to do quite well initially. They struck and attacked from behind while their front-liners blocked the heavy strikes and sweeping claws of the beasts. However, the issue was the werewolves’ sheer resilience. Even when one of the knights managed to find an opening and stabbed a werewolf right in the back, the creature didn’t fall. Before the knight could even pull out his sword to strike again, the werewolf swung its arm around in a blurred arc. Its sharp claws managed to catch the knight across the throat, cutting through his defenses in a spray of red. “Don’t lose focus for even a second!” the lead knight shouted, his voice barely audible over the snarling. They had been somewhat prepared for what could happen by Bluebird. He had informed them earlier that werewolves might be coming to attack, based on the information shared by Gary and the others. There were members from Steve’s pack that were out there doing quests across the land, caught out in the open when the moon reached its peak. For those werewolves that were currently located next to small villages, the knights knew they couldn’t really do much to help them from here. There would also be those werewolves that had yet to join a pack at all, the loners, and one could only guess what was happening to them as the curse took hold, whether they were being effected by the madness or not. This was why the guards were at least mentally prepared, but the actual fighting was far harder than they had anticipated. The werewolves were faster, stronger, and more durable than any human opponent they had ever faced. Two men had already died on this section of the wall, their armor shredded like paper. “Are we going to get backup!?” one of the younger knights shouted. He was straining every muscle, using his Qi to push a set of claws away from his face as a werewolf leaned its full weight into him. Two of his comrades tried to follow up with a counter-attack, managing to cut the chest of the werewolf deeply, but their blades only managed to penetrate the skin and muscle. They didn’t hit anything vital, and the beast didn’t even flinch. “The others have strict orders to stay by the doors! They have to stay and protect the people in the city! We’re on our own up here, and we need to do our job!” the senior knight shouted back, trying to rally his men. He stepped forward to assist, but his words were cut short. Another werewolf had scaled the wall from behind him, unnoticed in the chaos. It lunged forward and bit its teeth right into the man’s neck, silencing his command forever. **** **** For updates on MWS and future works, follow me on my social media below. Instagram: jksmanga P.a.t.r.e.o.n: 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 tend to reply.