When Aether fought monsters before, he could always feel an oppressive aura radiating from them—whether it was the intimidation of a predator, the bloodlust of a killer, or the insatiable hunger of something unnatural.
Enemies like Monsters, Arkanis and Alaric practically oozed these feelings, making it clear to anyone nearby what they were capable of.
But now…
“Grrrrlllll”
The sound was low, as the puppy—or rather, the wolf monster—growled.
Its guttural snarl rippled through the still air, but it lacked the chilling resonance Aether had come to expect from creatures like this.
Aether furrowed his brow. He couldn’t feel anything from this monster.
No killing intent, no malice, no overwhelming aura that set his instincts on edge.
This monster didn’t give off any kind of vibe, which only deepened his unease. Was it truly as weak as it seemed, like an infant testing its voice? Or was it masking something so profound that even Aether couldn’t comprehend it?
His eyes narrowed as the wolf’s gaze shifted… locking onto Nightfire. She was on her knees, her face pale and her hands trembling as if an unseen force had stolen her strength.
“Nightfire, MOVE!” Helena’s voice sliced through the tension, and she darted forward to grab her arm. But the warning came too late.
The beast lunged, its movements a blur. Saliva streamed from its open maw, glistening in the faint light, as it raced toward its helpless target.
Its jaws stretched wide, ready to rip into her flesh and swallow her whole… Yet,
Thud!
Aether moved faster than the eye could follow, his hand shooting out to intercept the wolf mid-attack. His fingers clamped onto its jaws with crushing force, stopping the creature in its tracks. The wolf’s momentum jolted to a violent halt, its body thrashing as it tried to break free from his iron grip.
Veins bulged along Aether’s arms as he held firm, his muscles straining, “Snap out of it, everyone!” he barked, his voice sharp and commanding.
Helena and Nightfire flinched at the intensity of his tone, but the words jolted them into action.
They scrambled to their feet, readying themselves for the fight.
“You two need to get out of here, now!” Aether growled, his focus never leaving the thrashing beast in his grasp.
“B-But—” Helena started to protest, but Nightfire didn’t wait. She scooped Helena up with surprising strength, tossing her over her shoulder like she weighed nothing.
“Hey! Put me down! You can’t just—”
“Relax, Saintess” Nightfire quipped, a sly grin creeping onto her face as she glanced back. “The hero’s got this under control. It’s his job to save the damsel heroines, after all!”
Aether shook his head at the exchange, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Then, with a surge of strength, he lifted the wolf by its jaws. The creature flailed in his grip, but Aether didn’t hesitate. With a powerful swing, he hurled it through the air toward the decrepit mansion in the distance.
The wolf’s body rocketed through the air, its trajectory perfect for a bone-shattering impact. But just as it was about to collide with the structure, it stopped—hovering mid-air.
Aether’s eyes narrowed. “So, you’re not just some mindless beast, huh?”
The wolf let out a deep, guttural growl, its glowing eyes flickering toward Nightfire. Then, without warning, it shot toward her like a streak of lightning.
“You should focus on me, buddy!” Aether roared, leaping into action. He intercepted the wolf mid-flight, his hand snapping around its tail with a grip like steel.
“Hhnnnngggg!” The creature let out a startled yelp as Aether yanked it back with brute force.
“Not so fast!” With a roar of effort, he swung the wolf in a wide arc, the sheer momentum tearing through the air, and slammed it into the ground with enough force to leave a crater.
BOOM!
The earth trembled, dust and debris exploding outward like a bomb had gone off.
Aether straightened, flexing his fingers as he muttered, “Damn… sturdy little bastard. That should’ve turned you into a paste.”
Grrrrlllll
To his surprise, the wolf rose from the wreckage. It shook off the dirt like it was nothing, its eyes locking onto him with renewed focus.
GRRRRRR!!
“Now that’s more like it,” Aether said, a sly grin spreading across his face. His heart raced as adrenaline surged through him.
The wolf charged again, its claws extended and its speed nearly impossible to track.
Sshhhh!
Aether ducked just in time, his reflexes honed to perfection. As the claws whizzed past him, he countered with a devastating kick to the creature’s side, sending it tumbling like a ragdoll.
But the wolf was relentless. It rolled to its feet mid-motion, its movements fluid and terrifyingly precise, and launched itself at him again.
This time, Aether didn’t dodge. He caught the beast mid-pounce, his hands gripping its front legs. With a guttural roar, he twisted, flipping the wolf onto its back and slamming it into the ground.
SLAM!
The wolf howled in fury, its glowing body pulsing as energy rippled outward. The ground beneath it split apart, jagged cracks spreading like a spiderweb.
Aether’s eyes widened as the beast launched itself upward, a streak of red energy trailing behind it. The monster turned mid-air, its mouth opening to reveal an orb of pulsating crimson light forming between its fangs.
The wolf fired, a searing beam of energy tearing through the air like a comet.
SSSHHHHHHH!!!
The explosion rocked the lawn, smoke billowing out in all directions. The wolf let out a triumphant snarl, its stance proud as it turned its gaze toward Nightfire.
Yet,
Cough, cough…
Its ears twitched.
From the smoke, Aether emerged, his silhouette sharp against the haze. He dusted off his clothes nonchalantly, a faint purple glow flickering in his eyes. “Not bad. Not bad at all,” he said with an amused smirk.
Helena and Nightfire stood just beyond the gate, watching with wide eyes.
“AETHER, COME BACK!” Helena screamed, her voice tinged with panic.
Nightfire nodded, cupping her hands around her mouth. “Hurry up, man! Let’s go!”
The wolf monster’s gaze shifted toward the woman, its expression darkening, almost as if it were frowning. Its piercing eyes lingered on Nightfire, burning with a predatory intensity.
Nightfire stiffened, a nervous chuckle escaping her lips, “Oh, come on! What did I ever do to you?” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up defensively.
She wasn’t wrong—she hadn’t so much as touched the creature. Yet, it seemed singularly obsessed with her. No matter what was happening around it, the monster only had eyes for her, as though she were the sole reason for its hunger.
The wolf let out a guttural growl before turning its glare back to Aether.
Its prey—Nightfire—had been snatched from its grasp, leaving it with only one target. Its muscles coiled, and with a sudden, explosive leap, it launched itself at Aether, its maw wide open and fangs gleaming.
Aether’s hand shot up with lightning precision, catching the beast’s gaping jaws mid-snap. His fingers clamped onto the bone, stopping the monster’s full momentum in its tracks.
SSsssgttttt!
They slide before,
The wolf thrashed violently, its claws swiping through the air, but Aether didn’t budge. His muscles tightened.
“You should’ve stayed cute,” Aether muttered with a hint of disappointment in his voice. Then, his frown deepened as his grip tightened further.
“Arrrrhhh!!”
With a guttural roar, Aether began to pull. The sinews in his arms flexed as he forced the wolf’s jaws wider, its sharp teeth glinting dangerously in the dim light.
“Kiiiiiiiinnnnnnn!!!!!” The wolf screeched, its guttural growl morphing into a high-pitched whimper as it fought against his overwhelming strength. Its body jerked as it tried to wrench its head free, but Aether held firm, his grip unrelenting.
“Mmnnnfffffffffiiiiiii!!!!!” The creature’s howls of resistance turned into desperate, pitiful sounds, but Aether showed no mercy.
Crackkk…
A sickening sound echoed through the desolate mansion as the creature’s jawbone began to give way.
The wolf howled in agony, its claws flailing wildly in a last-ditch effort to escape, but Aether didn’t falter. His focus remained razor-sharp as his fingers dug deeper, his sheer force splintering the bone further.
“mmmnnnnnnnnggggg!” Its voice changed into a puppy voice in pain!
“Shouting like that now won’t help you, buddy,” Aether said, his voice laced with a grim finality. His grip tightened, and with one last surge of strength—
Thud!
—he tore the wolf’s jaw apart. The bone shattered with a deafening crack, pieces of it snapping like brittle stone.
Blood and saliva sprayed across the ground in a gruesome arc as the creature’s body went limp. Its glowing red eyes flickered weakly, the light fading into darkness.
Aether exhaled sharply, tossing the broken maw aside as he scanned the beast for any sign of an Arcane crystal. The lifeless creature didn’t appear to have one.
He straightened slowly, his gaze shifting to the old mansion. He knew the monster was dead, but a nagging sense of unease prickled at the back of his mind.
Something wasn’t right here.
He turned and began walking back toward the others.
Nightfire and Helena watched him in stunned silence, their faces reflecting awe and disbelief.
“Holy fuck… that was… incredible,” Nightfire finally whispered, her usual teasing tone replaced with genuine astonishment.
Helena exhaled a long sigh of relief. A faint smile played on her lips as she stepped forward, glancing back at the motionless body of the wolf.
Just as she was about to cross the threshold of the gate, her eyes widened in horror.
The wolf’s body flickered and,
Tick
“AETHERRR!!!” Helena’s scream rang out, and her hand shot up.
TANG!!!
A resounding clang echoed through the air as Aether spun around… only to see…
The once-dead wolf had transformed into something else… Its body crackled with unnatural energy, its form now more grotesque and wicked than before. Its claws were longer, sharper!
“What in the…” Aether’s voice trailed off, his eyes widening as he took in the creature’s new form.
The beast snarled, its rainbow-coloured saliva sizzling as it dripped onto the ground.[Image in comment]