Chapter 219: Surrounded Again

The Werefangs ran toward the humans under the command of their leader.

Their massive bodies tore through the forest, snapping branches and crushing undergrowth beneath their feet. The pack moved with frightening coordination, spreading apart as they advanced.

BOOM!

Something suddenly landed in their path, causing the entire pack to stop. Dust drifted through the air as a pair of enormous feet stood between them and the distant academy.

Slowly, the creature straightened. It was nearly four meters tall. It was their leader. It had moved ahead, or rather, very close.

Several scars crossed its chest, which were much more visible now that it was in the light. The Werefangs immediately lowered themselves again. This was their way.

The creature looked at them without saying anything. Then it turned its head toward the distant sounds of battle.

Its nostrils twitched, and a slow grin spread across its face.

"So..." Its voice was deep and human. "...they’re still alive."

One of the smaller Werefangs growled. The creature raised one hand, but silence immediately followed. Its crimson eyes narrowed.

"They killed several of you."

The Werefangs remained still.

"And yet..." He glanced at them. "...you failed to kill even one."

A low growl escaped one of the monsters. The leader’s grin widened.

"Pathetic."

He stepped forward, causing the earth to crack beneath his foot. The other Werefangs immediately stood. The leader looked toward the distant battlefield, and his expression changed. There was no longer amusement in his eyes. Only hunger.

"Sun’s Peak Academy."

He had heard the name. The strongest academy currently operating in this section of Saintfall Expanse. A group of prey that had proven far more troublesome than expected. His tongue slowly ran across his fangs.

"Let’s see..." His claws flexed. "...how much stronger you’ve become."

He lowered his body, and the surrounding air seemed to tighten. Then he spoke one word.

"Hunt."

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!

The Werefangs exploded forward, and at their center, their leader charged toward Sun’s Peak Academy. Graham McGregor and his team had no idea what was coming.

***

The forest went silent. Graham McGregor noticed it first and stopped walking. The rest of Sun’s Peak Academy immediately followed.

"What is it?" one of the students asked.

Graham didn’t answer. His eyes slowly moved across the surrounding trees. Something was wrong. The monsters had disappeared.

There were no howls, no movement, and not even the sound of insects. His expression hardened.

"Formation."

The students reacted instantly. They moved closer together, weapons coming into their hands. A girl looked toward the trees.

"Did the monsters retreat?"

"No." Graham’s eyes narrowed. "They’re surrounding us."

The words had barely left his mouth when a Werefang landed on top of a nearby tree. Then another appeared to their left, another behind them, another on a rocky outcrop, and then another.

Within seconds, yellow and crimson eyes began appearing throughout the forest.

The students slowly realized what had happened. They weren’t facing a pack anymore. They were completely surrounded.

Graham’s grip tightened around his weapon.

"How many?"

A student activated his sensory ability, and his face immediately turned pale.

"Twenty..." His voice trembled. "Twenty-three."

Another student looked around.

"That’s impossible. We only saw nine earlier."

Graham’s eyes sharpened.

"They weren’t the entire pack."

A low growl rolled through the forest, and the Werefangs stepped out from the trees. Some walked on two legs, while others lowered themselves onto all fours. Their claws scraped against the ground.

Then the leader appeared.

It walked calmly through the center of the pack, and the smaller Werefangs immediately parted to let him through.

Graham stared at him, and the difference was obvious. The other Werefangs were dangerous. This one was something else entirely. The pressure surrounding him alone made several students instinctively step backward.

Graham remained still. His eyes met the creature’s crimson gaze.

"So you’re their leader."

The Werefang King smiled.

"And you’re theirs?"

Graham’s expression didn’t change, despite hearing the creature clearly speak like a human. It would’ve been shocking, mostly, but in this world, he had come to terms with the fact that literally anything was possible.

"For now," He answered, his eyes glinting with a sharp silver light.

The Werefang’s grin widened.

"Interesting."

One of the students whispered.

"Graham..."

"I know."

Graham raised his hand, and a faint distortion appeared around his fingers. The space itself began to bend, while the air twisted. The ground beneath his feet warped for a brief moment before returning to normal.

The Werefang King noticed immediately, and his expression became slightly more interested.

"Spatial ability."

Graham’s eyes narrowed.

"You’re familiar with it?"

"I’ve lived long enough." The creature flexed its claws. "I’ve seen humans with many abilities. I ate most of them..."

Graham’s spatial aura intensified. His ability wasn’t simply teleportation. Space around him could be manipulated- compressed, distorted, and folded.

He could shorten distances, redirect attacks, create spatial barriers, and move himself through folded space, but he had never needed to demonstrate the full extent of it during the tournament.

Until now.

Graham glanced around. There were twenty-three Werefangs, possibly more, hidden nearby. His gaze returned to the leader.

"You’re an A-Rank."

The Werefang smiled.

"Correct."

Several students stiffened.

An A-Rank monster. That alone was enough to make the situation extremely dangerous. Graham, however, didn’t retreat. Instead, he stepped forward, and the space beneath his foot distorted.

THOOM!

He appeared several meters closer to the Werefang King, causing the creature’s eyes to widen slightly. Graham pointed his weapon toward him.

"Then I’ll start with you."

The Werefang King laughed, a deep, vicious sound that made the surrounding air quiver. The smaller Werefangs released mocking howls, causing the students’ expression to turn grim. These monsters were too intelligent.

"You?"

His claws slowly extended.

"You think you can defeat me?"

Graham’s eyes became cold.

"No."

The Werefang paused. Graham’s spatial aura erupted around him.

WHOOOOOOM!

"I think I can kill you."

For the first time, the Werefang King’s smile disappeared.

The entire pack lowered their bodies; Graham’s teammates raised their weapons, and then...

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The Werefangs charged from every direction. Sun’s Peak Academy was swallowed by the pack.