My Tribrid System: More than a Monster

Chapter 72

”Argh, f*ck!” The werewolf growled angrily, the sound vibrating from deep within its chest as it shook its head, trying to dislodge the grit and dust clinging to its thick fur.

”AHHHHH!” Chloe shrieked at the top of her lungs, the piercing sound causing the werewolf to snap its head in her direction with predatory speed.

Instantly, she froze on the spot, staring into those obsidian eyes as if they were a signed death sentence.

Just like that, the werewolf’s gaze glided past the remaining humans standing in front of it, evaluating each one in a heartbeat.

From Chloe, the focus shifted to Trisha, who was immediately on high guard.

Though she was dangerously low on MF, frost was still painstakingly and slowly creeping up her slender fingers as she fixed her unwavering eyes on the werewolf.

The wolf didn’t even linger long; its gaze drifted away from her and landed on Kai, who looked strangely unfazed as he stared back with a stoic expression.

The dark eyes didn’t stay long on the annoyingly handsome youth either, as they now landed squarely on Van.

And for some reason, the werewolf’s eyes twinkled a bit.

It was just for the slightest, most fleeting moment, but it did not go unnoticed by Van’s observant eyes.

Unexpectedly, Van’s hands crept up to his chest upon seeing those eyes, his heart hammering against his ribs for an entirely different reason.

’Wh-Why do I feel a sense of protection coming off from this... this creature? I don’t feel scared of it one bit. Why is th...’ His internal monologue trailed off as his eyes widened in sudden horror.

”Look out!” Van shouted aloud, his voice echoing through the clearing and causing the werewolf to quickly spin around.

But it was already too late.

Its head was immediately snatched by the Aberrant and hammered into the earth with tremendous force.

A five-metre crater yawned open instantly as dust and jagged debris scattered into the air like shrapnel.

The Aspirants quickly shielded their eyes from the grit that threatened to blind them.

A pained, guttural roar from the werewolf erupted as its head was lifted up once more and smashed into the ground, further deepening the cracked crater beneath them.

But then, a determined roar escaped the werewolf’s throat just as its head was pulled from the dirt, poised to be smashed into the floor a third time.

When—

The Aberrant’s massive hands were grabbed tightly by the werewolf, the beast’s grip like iron clamps, refusing to let the monster drive its head into the ground again.

They were now locked in a violent standstill.

The werewolf slowly tilted its head to stare directly into the eyes of the Aberrant for a moment, and a small, feral grin flashed across its blood-smirched face.

Within the blink of an eye, before the thought could even be registered, the werewolf twisted with surprising, fluid agility.

It coiled around the Aberrant’s outstretched hand, passing over the limb, and then with all its might, it drove its feet right into the monster’s face.

Its sharp toenails dug impressively deep, allowing a spray of blue blood to erupt from the fresh wound on the Aberrant’s chest.

Then, with a savage twist like a crocodile performing a death roll, the werewolf sent the Aberrant hurling away from its claws.

Two loud, thunderous bangs were heard as the Aberrant’s body cut through the air before smashing into a massive tree, uprooting the ancient timber from the ground with the force of the impact.

The werewolf wasn’t finished though.

It quickly leaped into the air, its wide grin revealing rows of deadly fangs.

”Take this, and this, and this!” It growled, its voice carrying a strange mix of... excitement?

A dozen jagged lines of black energy burst from its claws, speeding towards the prone Aberrant like dark scythes.

The creature’s eyes widened in panic as it swiftly crossed its hands in front of its face, allowing the energy to smash into its guard.

The dark power tore deep into its hide, causing blue blood to spray out in rhythmic pulses.

Each successive line of energy acted like a hammer, pushing the Aberrant back deeper and deeper into the shadows of the forest.

Landing back on the ground with a soft thud, the werewolf turned its full attention towards the small, battered squad of Aspirants behind him.

”Hey, you.” Its voice came out in a low, vibrating growl, but the words were surprisingly clear and articulate.

Its gaze was fixed on Van, causing the young boy to stiffen up in an instant under the weight of that predatory stare.

”... He says you are pretty intelligent. He says your IQ level is unmatched. I need you to prove his words right and figure out a way to defeat that monster now. I don’t have much time left.”

As the werewolf finished speaking, the Aberrant’s scream pierced the air with a frequency that made their skin crawl.

It stood up from the debris, grabbed two massive, uprooted trees, and in a fit of pure, unadulterated anger, hurled them forward with all its might... which was a considerable amount of force.

”Hurry,” the werewolf added urgently before springing off from the ground with all its might, stunning Van for a moment as the beast blurred into action.

’He says? Who says? Wait... what even is this creature? Why do its words sound like it’s specifically tasked with protecting us?’ Van wondered inwardly.

He watched, mesmerized, as the werewolf collided with the incoming trees mid-air, managing to swat them aside and send them crashing into the dirt.

But unfortunately, the projectile attack was merely a feint.

The Aberrant had already materialized before the wolf in a flicker of movement, and before the beast could react, it was smashed into the ground with a thunderous impact.

A fresh spray of crimson blood splattered from the werewolf’s mouth, staining its thick fur.

The werewolf was then ruthlessly pulled out of the crater by the Aberrant, which held it by the scruff, allowing it to dangle helplessly in the air for a few agonizing moments.

The next moment, something instantly caught Van’s keen eyes.

”Van... what is it? We need to leave now!” Kai shouted in anger, his frustration reaching a boiling point as he tugged at Van’s shoulder—pulling hard and forcing the young boy to stumble backward for a moment.

”Yes. We need to l-leave. Now!” Chloe added with a heavy stutter, already backing away toward the gate, but Trisha refused to budge an inch from her position.

”Hang on a moment,” Van’s voice came out in a low, trembling whisper as he reached out to stop Kai from pulling him any further.

”What is it?!” Kai shouted in pure irritation, his nerves frayed. ”We need to go. I promised Ray to get you away safe and sound and even though he... he... he is dead now, I intend to keep my promise, so we need to leave this instant!”

Van didn’t reply for a moment.

He was too busy staring at the werewolf dangling in the air, silhouetted against the harsh light of the planet’s sun.

A few scorched pieces of clothing were still stuck onto its fur, while the lower torso was still wrapped in the remnants of a half-torn Aspirant uniform.

What caught Van’s eyes even more were the distinct silver streaks of hair on the werewolf’s fur that now grew profound and brilliant, catching the direct light from the sun.

The moment he recognized the pattern, his eyes widened in a mix of shock and utter confusion.

His lips quivered as he slowly lifted a trembling arm, pointing it forward toward the battlefield.

Kai lifted an eyebrow at this strange behavior, his gaze following the line of the pointed finger.

He saw that the werewolf had finally managed to maneuver out of the Aberrant’s grip, and the two were once again clashing fiercely in a whirlwind of fur and scales.

”What happened? What are you looking at?”

”R-Ra... Ray is not dead. Th— Kai! That monster is Ray!” Van shouted at the top of his lungs, causing everybody to gasp in unison.

Their stiffened necks slowly tilted, eyes widening as they watched the werewolf grab a thick, fallen tree and smash it into the Aberrant’s face with a strength that felt hauntingly familiar.

”What?!”