My Tribrid System: More than a Monster

Chapter 105

At this point, Ray felt like he would genuinely lose his mind.

His head was spinning from the sheer absurdity of the question he had just been asked.

Was he hallucinating from the blood loss, or was this actual reality?

’Or am I just tweaking?’

«You definitely are not. I am genuinely taken aback too,» Elyon replied, the stunned tone in his voice mirroring Ray’s internal confusion.

”Hm? No response?” The werewolf asked again with a curious tilt of his head. ”Or do you intend to tell me that you simply don’t have a type?”

’What is wrong with this fool? How can he ask such a ridiculous question in the middle of a serious confrontation? I am genuinely bleeding out here.’

«Shouldn’t you just reply? It seems he is dead serious about the inquiry. Besides, if there is a way to avoid further fighting, I think you should take it,» Elyon suggested.

’But then, what answer should I even give? I have never bothered myself with romance or women in general. All I ever spent my time on was fantasizing about how to make enough money to acquire an ability book so I could protect my family.’

He paused, staring at the foot that remained dangerously close to his face.

’... Besides; who in their right mind in the world we live in would be thinking about girls?!’

”Ten seconds. That is all I give you to come up with a satisfying answer before I take you down totally.”

’But come to think of it, I feel like all women are loveable the way they are. Why should I have a ty— nope. That won’t cut it. Think, Ray, think.’

«Right. You are a fifteen-year-old kid. You surely won’t know much about the matters of the heart,» Bruce’s mocking voice suddenly echoed from the depths of his mind.

”Eight...”

Unknown to him, the werewolf had already begun the countdown.

”Seven...”

”Six....”

”Five...”

Ray just listened to him counting down with a blank, almost hollow expression on his face.

”Three...”

”Two...”

”One...”

”Time’s up!” The werewolf growled, his muscles tensing as he prepared to press his foot forward when—

”My type is: a beautiful, petite lady with curves, and most especially, they should have a sizeable rack on their chest so I can comfortably lay my head on it in times of mental crisis!” Ray quickly blurted his answers out all at once, driven by the frantic fear of his skull being crushed.

”.....”

A heavy silence descended, both in the forest and deep within his head.

Elyon, Bruce, and even the mysterious werewolf were completely taken aback by his oddly specific answer.

Ray, on the other hand, felt his heart thudding in panic as he stared at the foot hovering near his nose.

’Di-Did I manage to satisfy him, or have I just signed my own death warrant?’

”....”

The werewolf stared down at Ray for several long moments.

Then, a wide grin instantly split his face as he threw his head back, laughing out loud.

The sound echoed through the trees.

His foot shot back, away from Ray’s face, finally letting the boy breathe a massive sigh of relief.

”I—I knew that there was something I liked about you the moment I saw you, eh? Brother!” The werewolf smiled immensely as he gazed at Ray on the forest floor.

”Eh? Brother?”

****

”Here,” The werewolf held out a hand to assist Ray up.

But the latter just frowned, choosing to ignore the gesture as he proceeded to stand up on his own while dusting the dirt and leaves off his body.

His back was still bleeding significantly, so he placed one hand across the jagged injury and immediately activated ’Purification Pulse.’

Slowly, his flesh began knitting together at a measured pace.

Given the speed of the regeneration, the jagged wounds would be entirely closed in two minutes at best.

The werewolf merely shrugged at the blunt refusal of his assistance, seemingly unbothered.

”What did you mean by calling me ’brother’?” Ray asked, his brows furrowed in deep suspicion.

”Of course you are my brother, silly. Anyone with a peculiar choice such as yours is surely my comrade. The way I love my women is the same way you love yours. Surely, we must have been brothers in another life, right?”

’Absolutely not. There is no way I would be brothers with a lunatic like you,’ Ray thought, a shiver of annoyance running down his spine.

Then, the werewolf cast a short, analytical glance at Ray, scanning him from head to toe.

”What?”

”Nothing. Just that you look incredibly young, so how did you develop such a refined taste?”

The werewolf asked, lifting a curious brow.

The question inadvertently triggered a memory for Ray.

As he had faced the prospect of being crushed moments ago, his mind had flashed back to a distant acquaintance from his childhood.

She was a family friend who would drop by every once in a while—stunning, with a petite yet thick frame that had left an impression even then.

Even as a young boy, he had felt a certain gravitational pull toward her.

But, of course, she was much older, so those feelings had remained nothing more than a passing childhood crush.

”It’s a long, useless story,” Ray replied flatly.

The werewolf shrugged again, his intensity replaced by a strange, casual air. ”Oh well, doesn’t matter anymore.”

Ray took a cautious step back, his muscles still ready for a sudden shift in the atmosphere. ”So, you aren’t trying to kill me again?”

”Why would I kill my brother? In fact, I will protect you myself. Not only are we of the same race, but you are also a man of culture. Men like you are incredibly rare in this day and age.”

’Yup. He’s officially crazy.’

”Yeah, sure,” Ray muttered, finally turning away.

While they had been talking, his wounds had finished healing up nicely, leaving nothing but torn fabric behind.

”By the way, stay out of my way from now on, will you? I don’t need your protection,” he added over his shoulder, beginning to walk away with a visible scowl.

”Don’t you even want to exchange names?!”

The werewolf shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing through the trees.

”Fuck off,” Ray muttered, certain the werewolf’s sensitive ears would catch the dismissal perfectly.

”Tch. What a gloomy brother I have,” the werewolf scoffed, crossing his arms as he watched Ray’s retreating figure.

Within a few moments, Ray had vanished from sight, leaving the stranger alone in the darkening forest.

The playful smile on the werewolf’s face instantly vanished, replaced by a look of sharp, predatory calculation.

’A hybrid, huh? I promised to protect you, but I can’t help being curious about how you came to be. Those claws and the way that fur started to manifest... I haven’t seen those traits before. What exactly are you, brother?’ he mused inwardly as the wind rustled loudly through the leaves.

His gaze remained fixed on the path ahead for a moment before he dropped his eyes to his watch.

9:30 PM.

”Shucks. I have thirty minutes left to get to my dorm; otherwise, I’ll be in deep trouble. Why am I even worried? With my speed, I’ll surely get there on time.” He shrugged nonchalantly.

Then, he let out a loud yawn, stretching his arms into the air.

He began walking away from the clearing with calm, measured steps.

”What a strangely eventful and fun night. I will surely meet you again, brother.”