Chapter 3773: The Gate Opens (Part 2) Once again, the room erupted into chaos. The Upyrs closest to the Skoll lunged at him while those too far away threw their weapons all around him. Protector was about to unleash the spells contained in his rings when the Upyrs activated Frost Soul again, freezing the magic-holding rings he wore. With no other choice left, he pushed his tired muscles to the extreme, dodging most blows and returning twice as much. Yet in the frenzy of claws, flying weapons, and tendrils, he took a few hits before he could move to a safe position. ’One more blow.’ Protector tasted the blood in his mouth. ’I can take one more blow like this at most. Anything stronger and I’m dead.’ *** Verhen Mansion, at the same time. Filia, Frey, Fenrir, and Solkar had no control over the Life Eater bloodline ability, but they had a clear understanding of the amount of energy their young bodies stored. With each blow their father took, the feeling of exhilaration Life Eater gave them faded, and the young Skolls’ strength returned to normal. With each blow their father took, they knew the battle wasn’t over and that it wasn’t going well. "Eat, Fenrir, eat!" Lilia urged her baby sister. "Eat even if you’re not hungry. Do it for Dad." "What’s the point, big sis." Leran said without interrupting his forced meal. "We can’t send anything to Dad. We’ve trained every day, but we have yet to activate Life Eater once." "It’s better than nothing." Lilia sighed. "If you have any idea, I’m open to suggestions." Selia wanted to reassure her children, but she could tell from their reaction that they knew better. She looked at Kamila, who stared at the amulet, checking that all the contact runes were still in place before giving Selia a thumbs up. "Dya! Dya! Valeron and Elysia cried. Leran looked at the baby boy, and his eyes widened in realization. "I have one! I have an idea!" He dropped his mutton chop and ran to Ryla. "Please, Auntie, give us your golden lightning. Give us as much as you can!" "You are too young for that and have Awakened recently." The Fomor shook her head. "It would hurt you." "Then just give us as much as we can take and add more once we consume it." Leran replied. "And how do we consume it?" Lilia looked at her brother, hoping for a good answer. "You’re right, sis, we can’t activate Life Eater, but Dad can." Leran said. "Maybe, while the golden lightning boosts us, we can perceive when Dad opens the connection with us and use it to give him what we have accumulated!" "It might work." Lilia nodded. "It must work." *** Lark Mansion, in front of the pantry, at the same time. The earlier brief respite from the Frost Soul allowed the arrays to repair themselves and inflict upon the Upyrs whatever potency they had left. It was the reason they stopped releasing their bloodline ability only for a split second at a time. Protector was back in front of the pantry, but Kazam had already made short work of the little space that Jadon had managed to reclaim. "Soon, mutt. Soon." Kazam said. "You’ll go down first, and then it will be the humans’ turn." ’These people can’t be reasoned with, only fought.’ Protector tried to use Invigoration from the safety of the arrays and stopped the moment he felt a cold pain spreading through his body. ’There’s no point saving my strength. The next hit will also be the last. ’I’ll consume everything I’ve left of Life Eater and hope it buys me enough time.’ Protector accessed the nutrients and life force reserves he had entrusted to his children, consuming them all. The contact lasted longer than usual as the Skoll collected every crumb of energy he could find. It lasted long enough for the children at the Verhen Mansion to feel their father’s presence. The gate hadn’t been opened by them, but it was open nonetheless. Lilia and Leran brought every iota of golden lightning they had to their mana cores, using it to amplify their strength before shoving it through Life Eater along with their best spells. Fenrir and Solkar had no power to give, but felt their father’s distress and cheered for him. Protector experienced their worry, fear, and love. He took them in. He took everything in, and golden lightning crackled across his body. The air element condensed, channeled, and amplified by the Fomor’s yellow eye multiplied Protector’s might threefold, but what reached the Upyrs was something much worse. The Skoll howled with primordial rage, releasing a killing intent so violent that it brought the enemy assault to a halt. Protector’s muscles bulged, his bones popped, and his violet aura drowned the magical lights of the hall. ’Who..., no, what is that thing?’ Kazam asked as the flaming red fur of the Skoll bristled and the blue flames shrouding his neck and tail turned violet. At the Verhen Mansion, Ryla poured more golden lightning into the children, while at the Lark Mansion, more golden lightning arched across Protector’s equipment. Yet that wasn’t the reason when the Skoll took one step forward, the Upyrs took one step back. The reason was Protector’s murderous glare. There was no fear, hesitation, or worry in his eyes. Only an unyielding, unstoppable bloodlust. "You shouldn’t have done it." Protector growled, swinging his maces around and putting his new strength to the test. "You shouldn’t have attacked my children." Lilia, Leran, Fenrir, and Solkar were hundreds of kilometers away, safe inside the defensive arrays of the Verhen Mansion. Yet Protector felt their cries, smelled their fear, and watched them quiver as if they stood right behind him. What had always limited Protector ever since his evolution into a Skoll was the loss of his pack. He had lived and fought as a wolf first and a Ry later, training and leading his pack mates. He had earned his title of king in the east, the Protector, because it was what he did best. He protected the weak, the old, the young, and all those who couldn’t defend themselves. After becoming a Skoll, however, he had become the only member of his species. There was no one to lead or protect, and Selia was smart enough never to get herself into so much trouble that she needed his help. His apprenticeship with Faluel had given him knowledge, but no purpose. During the past seven years, Protector had done what every other Awakened did, not what a Skoll was supposed to do. His generous and compassionate heart had always held him back, like when he had tried to reason with the Awakened using Forbidden Magic in Zantia or hesitated to fight the monsters of Zelex. Now, however, he wasn’t fighting an enemy threatening a small corner of the world filled with strangers that Protector would never meet again. Now, he was a cornered wolf, fighting an enemy who had invaded his home and threatened everyone he loved. Mercy died and compassion withered inside Protector’s heart as the battle with the Upyrs became a life-or-death struggle for his pack. Everything Ryman’s peaceful life had taken away from him, everything he had lost by learning the secret of the violet core through others, came back to him.