Chapter 1401: Even Without the Wolf Every time Gary saw a member of the Howlers getting mauled, clawed, or killed right in front of him, a deep pain tore through his chest. He couldn’t stop thinking that each of them probably had someone who cared about them, just like Jayden had Xin. And what was he doing? Just standing there, watching it all happen, not taking part? He understood why, of course. Gary’s powers were limited right now, and this whole battle wasn’t about defeating the enemy, it was about buying time. So far, only thirty minutes had passed. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞 Thirty minutes of a night that would last another five hours or so. Gary had to conserve his strength. He might have to face the most dangerous enemies in the Lupus group without being able to transform. Still… how were they supposed to last that long? And how was he meant to just stand there, doing nothing? But that wasn’t what worried Gary the most. What was truly eating at him was a pattern he’d started to notice. The Howler members were well aware of their weaknesses. Those who fought on the ground had switched to long-ranged weapons and were fighting in close-knit groups. It was a smart move. After all, these weapons had once been effective enough to subdue both Kai and Gary. However, whenever a group struck with any real force, a figure, quick and silent, almost stepping out of the shadows, would emerge. A smaller Werewolf, wielding a dagger, would appear in a flash and stab straight through the chest of a Howler. The dagger would then slice across their neck or slash at their legs before the attacker slipped away just as quickly. The strikes were so fast and precise that even Gary, with his enhanced night vision, could only see the figure during the attacks. The level of agility… it was nearly on par with Gary himself. And the strangest thing? The enemy was using a weapon. That was incredibly rare among Werewolves. Even with his heightened senses, Gary couldn’t track the attacker outside of their strikes. The attacks were calculated, coordinated, and always targeted the Howlers who had the strongest formation and teamwork. A Werewolf using weapons… could it be an Ironfang? Gary wondered. Then a memory resurfaced, one from when the Dark Guild had approached him. They’d given him a choice of several weapons, and what he was seeing now perfectly matched the description of one of them. [Demi-God Tier Weapon: Eclipse Twin Daggers] [When the Moon Dagger is used, it enhances the user’s agility. At night, the weapon allows the user’s visibility to greatly decrease for enemies.] Slit was using the daggers. He moved through the battlefield, cloaked in the power of his weapons, searching for his next target. He spotted a group of around ten Howlers using a coordinated mix of spears and powerful close-range weapons, ones that fired piercing harpoons charged with electricity. Slit charged toward them in a blur and swung one of his blades, stabbing deep into the back of a Howler. But before he could withdraw, he felt a tight grip around his leg. Suddenly, he was yanked off the ground, dangling upside down in the air. “Got him!” Izzy shouted. “Now, you two, go!” Numba, in his goat-like Altered form, kicked off the ground with incredible force and launched a heavy punch, but his fist struck nothing but air. Slit had flipped midair, slicing through Izzy’s strange binding hair with his dagger and landing smoothly on the ground. He immediately lunged to strike again, only to have Ian intercept him. A bristle extended from Ian’s hand, blocking the dagger just in time. Numba quickly turned and charged once more, this time landing a solid punch. But Slit had grabbed the attacking arm with his hand, stopping it cold. “Did you think I was weak without my weapon? Or just because I’m small?” Slit smirked. “I’m an Ironfang, regardless!” he growled, kicking Numba hard in the stomach and sending him flying backward toward the others. The trio had been paying close attention to the battlefield, at least Izzy had. She’d figured out what was happening. Out of all the enemies here, the most dangerous one wasn’t a generic Werewolf, it was the Ironfang. “Haha! You guys are idiots!” Slit laughed. “It took all three of you Altereds just to keep me busy, and you didn’t even scratch me! And do you know what else you’ve done? You’ve changed the battlefield completely!” Izzy’s heart sank. Slit was right. Without them supporting the front lines, the Howlers were being torn apart. One after another, the Werewolves were breaking through the formations. They were ripping through the remaining Howler fighters like paper, until there were none left standing on the field. Now, the full force of Werewolves was moving toward the restaurant, toward the last stand of the Howlers, where even more of their members were waiting. As the group of Werewolves approached the entrance, a green-haired figure suddenly dropped down, landing directly in front of them. “That’s… that’s Gary Dem!” one of the Werewolves gasped. “But he doesn’t smell the same… is it really him?” “It has to be him. He’s the spitting image.” The Werewolves grew tense. Gary was the Alpha of the Howlers. With him standing there, could they even get through the front entrance? Could they reach the others? “What are you doing?!” Slit shouted from the back. “There’s nothing he can do! Trust me, he can’t transform right now. Just go for it and attack!” The Werewolves looked at each other uncertainly. Was it true? Why wouldn’t a Werewolf be able to transform? But then again… why hadn’t Gary fought until now? Why wasn’t he transformed already? Eventually, one Werewolf stepped forward, deciding to test it for himself. Gary watched him carefully. “No matter what state I’m in,” Gary said, slowly shifting his stance, “my job as the leader is to protect the Howlers as much as I can.” The Werewolf leapt into the air. And in that same moment, Gary pushed off from the ground like a rocket, fists clenched, channeling all of his power into a single punch. He swung his arm, and his fist collided cleanly with the Werewolf’s stomach. The impact was devastating. The Werewolf’s torso folded inward, and he was launched into the sky, flying backward until he crashed in the distance, rolling down a hill. He didn’t get back up. Gary lowered his fist and stood his ground. “No matter what state I’m in… I am the leader of the Howlers,” he said firmly. “And this is my responsibility.” **** *** For updates for MWS and future works, please follow me on my social media below. 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