Oren took off his artifact and relayed his message to Julia, who proceeded to summon the shadows and the goblins for him. Soon, over two hundred soldiers fell from the sky into the valley, filling it with their size and unusual forms.
The wolf howled at them, and its claws dug into the soil. Oren stood there with Yuran and the rest as the goblins stared with fear at the giant monster. Despite outnumbering it, no one dared to be brave.
“How are you still alive after receiving an attack that almost killed the emperor?” asked Alan as he walked toward them, his armor clinking away. Oren was silent as he realized this fact as well.
“Although the impact was powerful, I have no wounds like the emperor. Although this wolf is wrathful, it might mean that it can tell enemies from foes.”
“Maybe there is a simpler explanation to that,” said Yuran as he charged his gun and aimed it. “The wolf might be stronger against its targets, as befitting its sin.”
“That can be to our advantage,” replied Oren, “as long it doesn’t target us. If that happens, it was nice meeting all of you.” The two hundred-plus warriors advanced toward the howling wolf, which seemed to be growing larger by the second. “Shadows! Bind him, but do not harm him! Goblins! Hold it down, but do not strike! This is your Lord, Guild Master of Ascent, Arthur Silvera!”
His roars changed the soldier’s expression, as all of them cared about Arthur more than they did about Oren or any of them. Despite being absent most of the time, they revered and even worshiped him.
AWWWOOOO!
The wolf howled toward the sky, causing clouds to gather above them. The stars disappeared, and so did the moon, making the valley shrouded in darkness. The black wolf vanished in the darkness before it stomped on the ground.
“Bind him!” shouted Oren before he rushed forward. Several mana bullets whistled past him to explode on the wolf’s chest, but none could harm it. Oren glanced back, and Yuran shrugged before charging his gun again.
The wolf seemed immune to mana and magic as the goblins rained attacks on him one after the other without any results. Thus, they had to use their strengths.
The goblins charged toward the wolf, which stomped them before moving forward. However, some survivors caught its limbs and held them back, but the wolf howled and shook them off.
As for the shadows, their powers were enhanced by the lack of light. Because of the clouds, the shadows were darker, making them more helpful in binding the monster, but all of their restraints broke as soon as they touched it.
“This is futile,” said Alan with a frown. “The wolf seems to be the bane of all magic, and we cannot hold it with physical strength. And even if we do, we’ll lose half of our forces for a mere second.”
“A second is all I need to stab this sword into my brother,” said Oren as he raised his sword. “It should bring ease into his heart and end this wrath controlling him.”
“A sword that doesn’t kill is hard to be called a sword,” said Alan while staring at the sword.
“Swords can save lives too, no matter the method,” Oren said as he stepped toward the fighting goblins. “Let’s stop my brother.”
The three men bolted forward, seeking one second to calm Arthur down. However, the giant wolf was bigger than a small hill, making it impossible to control.
***
Julia was too worried about what was happening below. After deciding that the wolf was Arthur, Oren and the rest sought to stop it from killing itself. She watched them from the control room, where goblins were sent flying and shadows were torn apart by the giant wolf.
“Is this the Guild Master?” muttered Julia, her heart fluttering. She felt like she was watching a dungeon raid against a calamity-level monster. Although the wolf was not as strong physically, his immunity against the elements made him invincible.
The battle lasted for three hours, which left the soldiers wounded and tired. However, the wolf grew, and blood started leaking from its eyes. She was sure this blood belonged to Arthur, whose life was dwindling.
“Vice-Master Julia,” called Maryam while sitting beside her. “We should use the arrays to help them restrain him. We have enough energy to bombard and stop him.”
“Our energy is merely enough for the dome to function or escape. While on enemy territory, we cannot waste our resources over futile matters. This wolf is immune to magic, so what array would we use?”
Maryam was silent and turned back toward the screen. After fighting for so long, the wolf started to slow down. Oren and the rest were no better, and Li, who joined the fight, was the only reason they had time to breathe.
The wolf roared and struck its claws toward the ground, splitting it in two. The previously-lush green valley has now turned into a land of destruction, where each part was higher or lower than the other.
“Gravity Domain,” said Li while holding his sword toward the wolf and rotating it like a key, and the gravity multiplied tenfold. The flying vessel shook before the sudden change, making it tilt to the side.
“We need to get away from here,” said Julia before raising her hands and controlling the vessel to fly toward the nearby mountain. Arthur has given her access to control this giant artifact, placing great trust in her to keep it safe.
The Runic Dome started moving to the side, using air arrays to propel itself toward the mountain. While it found safety away from the gravity field, the same could not be said about the wolf. It was pinned down by gravity, which made Julia curious.
“It could repel magic but cannot disable gravity?”
“This might be similar to indirect attacks and reinforcement abilities. While the former yields more power, the latter has less chance of being counteracted.”
“It is possible. Sourna, Oasis of Akrena Continent, is said to have mastered the forces of nature, where they can raise ships and move lands with their wills.”
As the wolf howled, the men advanced toward it. The goblins, shadows, Alan, and Yuran rushed to hold down its lower jaw and open it. Then, Oren jumped toward its unhinged jaw to be swallowed down by the wolf.
“Is he mad?” jumped Maryam from her chair. Julia shared a similar sentiment but knew that Oren was not reckless. Nevertheless, he must have his reasons for this attack, which was soon revealed.
The wolf started to struggle and howl as its form began to change. Then, blinding light exploded from its neck as the wolf dissolved, and the black lightning returned to the sky.
As the ground watched, the monster dissipated, and two men fell from within it. One of them wore tattered black robes, and the other was Oren. As soon as they fell to the ground, Oren reached for the other man.
***
“It is truly you, Arthur,” said Oren as he pulled himself toward his brother and flipped him over. However, Arthur was feverish and muttering incomprehensible words. “What are you saying?”
“…”
Oren couldn’t hear what Arthur was whispering in his fever, and he almost scorched his skin when he touched his brother. Then, after he drew closer to listen to him, his eyes widened before he stared at his brother with shock.
“You did it,” said Yuran, whose arm was falling beside his body while the other held a gun. “I never imagined Arthur would turn into a monster.”
“That was not him,” said Oren with a frown as he raised himself and then carried his brother over his back. “It cannot be him. Something is wrong with Arthur, and we need to treat him.”
“We all know who the best healer is,” said Yuran after a slight pause, and Oren walked past him toward the descending Runic Dome. “Do you want me to summon Princess Tiara?”
“Do it as soon as possible,” said Oren while marching toward the Runic Dome. Arthur was still whispering in his ear while his fever started to subside. Oren wanted to take him far from the rest to ensure no one heard him.
Oren knew that his brother had a kind heart and that even if he lost control of himself, he wouldn’t mutter these things. Nevertheless, something was wrong with him, and Oren needed to find a cure.
The Runic Dome started to land, and its gates opened to welcome them. Julia and Maryam rushed from within it, welcoming Arthur and Oren back into their fortress. After being carried inside, Mr. Tate came to visit them as well.
“What is he saying?” asked Mr. Tate with a frown as he lowered himself, but Oren pushed him back. The man frowned as he stared at him with confusion.
“My brother is not in his right mind, and I don’t think it would be wise to listen to him. He has been… possessed.”
