Vayne's POV
"You're okay?"
I glanced at Karma in surprise and couldn't help but feel my insides tighten.
"How could you... actually come?"
Karma bit her lip lightly and looked at me with a slightly averted gaze.
"Alright, let's skip the catching up. Since you're already here, don't think you can leave so easily."
Hecarim let out a cold laugh while greeting the werewolf soldiers of his pack as they slowly surrounded me.
Perhaps the impression I left when I went to their pack to conquer earlier was too deep; for a while, none of the surrounding soldiers dared to approach rashly.
"Damn it, what are you guys afraid of? She's only by herself. If we continue like this until the reinforcements from the Fullmoon Pack arrive, none of us will be able to escape!"
Seeing that his men were a bit cowardly, Hecarim angrily roared at them. At the same time, he was the first to pounce toward me.
Hecarim's speed was extremely fast; his entire body crawled on the ground and advanced. Almost in an instant, accompanied by a wolf howl, Hecarim transformed into a giant gray wolf.
Only after he transformed into a wolf, the scars on the top of his head became extraordinarily obvious, and paired with his hideous expression, he looked extraordinarily creepy.
Facing Hecarim's attack, I didn't change my expression, calmly staring at his attack route. Just as he was about to get close, I managed to dodge his attack with a backward jump.
"Damn!"
Hecarim, having missed a blow, was a bit annoyed. His wide paws stomped into the ground, sending smoke and dust into the air.
"Go get her!"
Hecarim slumped to the ground, tilting his face up toward the sky and letting out a howl.
It was an order from the Alpha, a kind of pressure that originated from the bloodline.
The surrounding werewolf soldiers began to move as well, turning into giant wolves and letting out a rising and falling howl in response to the Alpha's call.
I calmly scrutinized the situation around me. It was obvious that breaking out from the front was impossible. If I wanted to solve this problem, I had to delay until reinforcements from the pack arrived.
However, it was evident that the werewolf soldier who reported the news earlier was also an undercover agent of the Blackmoon Pack, so it was impossible for him to go to Zed to ask for help.
I could only hope that Zed found my traces sooner. Right now, I needed to create a larger commotion to attract more attention. If I continued like this, I was sure I'll ended up caught.
While contemplating, the surrounding werewolf soldiers had already begun to move. They bared their sharp fangs and launched tentative attacks towards me. Some soldiers had even silently positioned themselves behind me, preparing for a sneak attack in conjunction with the frontal assault.
"Be careful," Karma whispered, catching me off guard. Initially, I thought it might be a trap for her to collaborate with the Blackmoon Pack, but her reaction now seemed genuine and unaware of the situation. I felt conflicted, but in the current moment, I couldn't afford to dwell on it.
"Vayne, today you'll pay for all the shame you brought upon our pack!" Hecarim declared with a sardonic smile, immediately following up with another attack. This time, with more subordinates to assist, his assault was louder and more powerful. His howls echoed through the forest, startling flocks of birds into the sky—an effect I desired.
Hecarim lowered his body, propelled himself into the sky, and lunged toward me with a bloody mouth. In my eyes, his figure gradually enlarged, and a hint of mockery played on his face, as if he had foreseen my demise.
Simultaneously, as Hecarim initiated his attack, the werewolf soldiers who had been lying in ambush behind me for a while could no longer restrain themselves. Three of them formed a squad and pounced on my back.
I stood in the midst of the entire battle, surrounded by attacks from all directions.
"No!"
Not far away, Karma stood in the corner, shouting at me. Just as their attacks were about to descend upon me, I let out a loud roar and instantly transformed into a giant white wolf, my purple pupils coldly scrutinizing the werewolves around me.
I saw terror in their eyes, as if it had taken them until now to remember the fear I had once instilled in them. This hint of fear caused their movements to become somewhat sluggish, and the strength of their attacks subconsciously weakened.
I wouldn't let go of this opportunity. With a hint of a smile on my face, I swiftly retreated. Just as Hecarim's bite landed on my shoulder, I violently turned my back. The inertia of my body charged straight towards the three werewolves who had launched a sneak attack at me.
The three of them obviously didn't expect that they had already been exposed. Their pupils rapidly dilated, and they froze in place, somewhat at a loss for words. However, the powerful impact from my body crashed solidly into them. With a dull ringing sound, the three of them immediately flew backward and hit the trunk of a nearby tree. Blood instantly splashed out, and three figures lay on the ground, letting out painful groans.
This time, my use of dodging to launch an attack shocked everyone, causing a momentary pause in their movements.
"How is this possible?" Karma's eyes widened with incredulity. Although she had fought with me for a long time before, this was the first time she had truly witnessed me fighting in the form of a giant wolf, and the shock it brought her was beyond compare.
"You... you will pay for this!" Seeing that he had been taunted yet again, Hecarim let out an angry howl as his eyes turned red from congestion. This was another disgrace he had suffered as an Alpha, clearly affecting his majesty. The only way he wanted to wash away this disgrace was to knock me down.
At that moment, Hecarim was a bloodthirsty, hungry wolf. His attacks were not the slightest bit methodical; he followed his instincts and launched one death-defying attack after another towards me.
I confronted it head-on, but evidently overlooked Hecarim's determination. Hecarim's eyes widened, occasionally risking a shoulder thrust to seize me or forcefully biting me, even when my attack reached him first. Soon, Hecarim's body became covered in scars, blood slowly dripping down.
The scars on his face reopened during our fight, turning Hecarim into a blood-soaked demon in that moment. My body, too, bore several wounds. Despite appearing to have the upper hand in the battle against Hecarim, the tremendous physical exertion had left me somewhat overwhelmed. I forced myself to use my hands to support the ground, preventing myself from collapsing.
Meanwhile, a group of foolish werewolf soldiers surrounded us.
"Go on, kill her!" Hecarim's face wore a sardonic smile as he issued his final command. The surrounding werewolf soldiers revived their energy and closed in on me slowly.