The Runesguard Sphere

The werewolf wizard's lips curled into a snarl. "Old fool! You dare provoke the werewolf clan? I'll use your blood and bones to honor my fallen brethren!" He let out a guttural growl, rallying his pack.

Alex glanced back at the elder. 'Was that reverse psychology?' The elder's words seemed to have enraged the werewolf wizard, cementing his decision to fight rather than flee. Alex sighed inwardly. 'Maybe I underestimated him.'

The werewolf wizard gritted his teeth, reached into his cloak, and pulled out several small vials. With a sharp howl, he summoned his remaining werewolves, handing the vials out to each of them. The werewolves didn't hesitate. They bit through the glass, consuming the contents along with the shattered remains of the bottles. Alex's eyes narrowed as he saw the liquid drip from their mouths. 'Potions? No, it can't be…'

The effects were immediate. The werewolves let out agonized howls, clawing at their own bodies as their veins bulged grotesquely beneath their fur. Their muscles swelled unnaturally, and their eyes, already bloodshot, dilated to an inhuman degree. "Dragon's Fury Elixir," Alex muttered under his breath, his expression darkening. He'd encountered this banned potion before. It forced the drinker into a berserk state, massively increasing strength, speed, and resistance to pain and magic at the cost of their sanity.

Realizing the danger, Alex acted quickly. He flicked his wand, commanding the five Tempest Orb to begin rotating in a clockwise formation around him and the centaurs. Their pace increased steadily, forming a spinning web of electricity. This wasn't just for defense. The rotating spheres created a constantly shifting electric circuit, increasing the likelihood of trapping the incoming werewolves.

The potion-enhanced werewolves didn't hesitate. With feral howls, they charged straight into the Arcbind Hex. The first werewolf hit the wire and convulsed violently as the current ripped through its body. Normally, this would have sent the creature flying, leaving it incapacitated. But the potion had heightened its resistance. Though slowed, the werewolf pushed forward, snarling through the pain.

Lightning bolts from the Thundris Vortex rained down, leaving scorch marks on their fur and deep gashes in their flesh. Yet they pressed on, seemingly immune to the agony. "Sectumsempra!" Alex shouted, firing two quick slashing spells at the nearest werewolves.

One werewolf dodged with enhanced reflexes, its movements unnaturally swift. The second was struck, but instead of being sliced apart, it tensed its bulging muscles, halting the blade mid-cut. Though blood spilled, the wound didn't deepen. The werewolf's body seemed to lock the injury in place, refusing to let it worsen.

The werewolves' relentless advance forced Alex to adjust. He kept his wand moving, directing the Tempest Orb to rotate faster. Each pass created more overlapping electric loops, narrowing the werewolves' avenues of approach. Still, their increased strength and resistance made them formidable. One werewolf broke through the circuit, its claws inches from Alex before being blasted by a bolt of lightning. Another managed to leap over a current but was struck midair, tumbling to the ground in a smoldering heap.

Alex's spells came faster now, each one calculated. "Stormscatter Hex!" A silver-blue bolt of concentrated energy shot out, piercing the chest of a werewolf and leaving a charred hole. "Sectumsempra!" Another invisible slash severed a werewolf's head cleanly.

The werewolf wizard, watching his pack dwindle, grew desperate. He aimed his wand at one of the Tempest Orb and cast Confringo. The explosion shattered Alex's protective shield, but the sphere itself remained intact, sparking defiantly.

Alex smirked. "You'll have to try harder than that." He turned his attention back to the pack, targeting another werewolf caught in the circuit. "Stormscatter Hex!" The spell struck, frying the werewolf alive. The remaining werewolves, now visibly shaken, began circling the electric field warily.

Alex shook his head as he realized his initial plan was too optimistic. Using spells alone to take down these werewolves wasn't practical anymore. It was time to get serious. He raised his left hand and swiped it across his torso, summoning two metal amulets into his palm. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled them forward with all his strength.

Next, he pulled out a metal sphere. Once activated, it hovered in the air, buzzing faintly as it began to orbit around him. The sphere resembled a silver version of the Golden Snitch but lacked wings, gliding smoothly in synchronized loops. From his waist, Alex unhooked a long silver chain. With a fluid motion, he threw it forward. As it flew through the air, the chain transformed into a serpentine construct, writhing and twisting like a living snake. This was the Spirit-Binding Snake, a magical creation he'd used before, and it coiled with serpentine grace as it darted toward its target.

Finally, Alex summoned his metal-bound magical book into his left hand, its cover etched with intricate runes glowing faintly with power. The two talismans exploded as they reached the charging werewolves. The first talisman released a powerful, silent soundwave—a deep hum that instantly disoriented the werewolves, causing them to stumble and slow their advance.

The second talisman unleashed a wave of magic. Though the effect wasn't immediately visible, it became evident as panic spread across the werewolves' faces. Their steps faltered, one tripping over a rock, another clawing at its eyes in desperation. The magic had robbed them of their vision. The werewolves snarled and thrashed, their blind fury rendering them chaotic and ineffective. One clawed at its face so viciously that blood began to trickle from its eyes.

Meanwhile, the Spirit-Binding Snake struck its target. It coiled tightly around one werewolf, its flexible metallic body glinting in the dim light. A brilliant magical glow erupted along its length, triggering a high-voltage electric current that incapacitated the werewolf instantly. The creature collapsed to the ground, convulsing violently.

This new version of the Spirit-Binding Snake had been heavily upgraded. In addition to its incapacitating spells, Alex had added runes for energy absorption and Thundris Tempest attacks. The snake could drain magic power from its victim while delivering incapacitating shocks, creating a near-perpetual motion of disarming and disabling its target.

The werewolf wizard, however, was not idle. Seeing his pack in disarray, he advanced with them, managing to destroy one of the Tempest Orb along the way. He waved his wand furiously, sending a barrage of curses toward Alex.

The hovering metal sphere surrounding Alex—the Runesguard Sphere—immediately lit up. Its etched runes activated, releasing a series of shimmering, transparent shields. The werewolf wizard's curses struck the shields one after another. A particularly powerful Confringo shattered two layers of protection, but the sphere instantly generated a new shield, nullifying the explosion's aftermath. The defensive sphere didn't even allow the hem of Alex's robes to stir.

The Runesguard Sphere was one of Alex's proudest alchemical creations. Initially, he'd envisioned it as a floating offensive cannon that could detect and target enemies autonomously. However, he'd quickly realized the complexity of such a design. The challenge lay in determining what constituted an "enemy." Should it be based on heat signatures, malicious intent, or automatic retaliation after being attacked? Misidentifying targets could lead to dangerous collateral damage.

Additionally, launching spells autonomously posed another issue. Without a wizard's wand to channel and direct magic, maintaining the stability and accuracy of a spell was nearly impossible. Wizards imbued spells with intent at the moment of casting—something no alchemical construct could replicate.