Chapter 14: Surrounded by Werewolves

Chapter 14: Surrounded by Werewolves

The moment the purple pillar of light vanished, a strong sense of weightlessness suddenly hit. His consciousness felt as if it were being torn apart—his world spun, shattered, and was reconstructed within his vision.

When his feet finally touched solid ground, he abruptly opened his eyes.

Before him was a temple—dead silent.

It was identical to the one in the previous world.

But there was one difference—

Their shadows were gone.

⸻

Outside the temple, the night was as dark as ink. A massive, pale full moon hung in the sky, its light filtering through the broken eaves, casting scattered patches of light inside.

The air carried the damp scent of earth, tinged with a faint metallic tang. A subtle unease crept into Tom's heart. Instinctively, he reached down and touched the ground—cold, dry, without a trace of moisture—yet the scent of blood was unmistakable, as if something was lurking in the darkness, watching them.

"This… doesn't feel like our world," he murmured, slowly rising to his feet.

[System energy recovery in progress. Current progress: 3%.]

The system's voice suddenly echoed.

Tom remembered now. The only reason they had arrived in this world was because the system, which had been dormant until now, had intervened.

① What determines the recovery of the system's energy?

② Also, how did I obtain this Emotion Value System? Is it related to my rebirth?

③ Why do those monsters keep chasing me? Is there something special about my body?

For now, things seemed relatively safe. But these questions, which had been piling up for a long time, surfaced in Tom's mind once again—no matter how much he thought about them, he couldn't find an answer.

Elizabeth stood at the temple entrance, gazing into the eerie silence of the forest. Her brows furrowed slightly.

"Do you hear that?" she asked.

Tom held his breath and listened.

At first, all he could hear was the rustling of wind through the trees, like whispers in the darkness. But a moment later, he caught it—

A low, heavy breathing sound, deep within the distant forest. It was accompanied by faint growls, restrained yet filled with hunger. Like a predator lying in wait, ready for its prey to step into the trap.

"There's something nearby." Tom gripped his dagger tightly, his body tensing. His pupils contracted in the dark.

Elizabeth didn't respond. She simply lifted her head, gazing at the luminous full moon in the sky.

"Werewolves."

Her voice was quiet, yet carried a weight that sent a chill down Tom's spine.

His heart skipped a beat, and his fingers turned cold.

He knew exactly what that word meant.

In ancient legends, werewolves were the children of the moon. On nights of the full moon, their blood awakened, turning them into ruthless hunters. And here, in this world, with that enormous full moon looming above them—it felt like a curse carved by the hands of a god.

Come to think of it, the ability he awakened (werewolf bloodline) also seemed to be related to werewolves. However, it had yet to fully awaken and remained unusable.

"We need to leave. Now." Elizabeth's voice was low and urgent. She turned and strode out of the temple, swift and decisive.

Tom didn't hesitate. He followed closely behind.

—But the moment they stepped outside, a deep growl echoed from the distant forest.

The sound was rough and bestial, filled with rage and hunger. It cut through the night like a blade, sending ripples through the still air.

Then, a dark shadow shot out from the trees.

Bathed in moonlight, Tom finally saw it clearly—

A towering figure, covered in thick gray-black fur. Half-human, half-beast. Its crimson eyes glowed in the darkness, saliva dripping from its fanged jaws. A predator, exuding lethal menace.

"Run!" Elizabeth shouted.

She grabbed Tom's wrist and bolted toward the back of the temple.

Tom's heart pounded as he gritted his teeth and ran with everything he had. The wind roared in his ears, mingling with the heavy thuds of the beast's pursuit. Each time its feet struck the ground, the earth trembled beneath its weight—its fury shaking the very land.

Under the moonlight of this world, Tom's body seemed to grow stronger. In such a dangerous moment, he unexpectedly felt a surge of excitement—an uncontrollable thirst for blood, a twisted sense of pleasure…

[Current system energy progress: 15%.]

The system's energy surged rapidly, increasing by 12% in just a short time.

But no matter how fast they ran, they could never outrun a werewolf.

The beast was closing in. Its growls and labored breaths echoed just behind them, as if at any moment, it would lunge and tear them apart.

"Left!" Elizabeth suddenly shouted, yanking Tom sideways.

They barely scraped past an ancient locust tree.

At that exact moment, the werewolf lunged—its claws swiping at the air where they had stood just seconds ago.

The sharp talons slashed through the wind, so powerful they stirred up a gust. A heartbeat later, the beast crashed into the tree with a loud, resounding thud.

"Now's our chance!" Elizabeth urged, pulling Tom forward.

They broke through the trees, emerging onto a winding mountain path. At the end of the path stood an old stone bridge, arching over a dark, murky river.

"The bridge!" Tom gasped. "We might be able to shake it off there!"

But just as they were about to step onto the bridge—

A shadow leaped out of the night, landing directly in front of them.

Another werewolf.

Its blood-red eyes gleamed with cruel amusement as it spread its arms wide, blocking all escape routes.