Catherine stared ahead in disbelief.
She couldn't believe that the humanoid creature covered in white fur, wearing noble attire, was actually Kane.
Speaking in a hushed voice, almost inaudible to herself, Catherine asked uncertainly, "Lord Kane?"
"Hmm?"
Kane, in his werewolf form, dropped the dagger he held and turned to face her.
Under the gaze of his crimson eyes, a tremendous pressure seemed to engulf Catherine, as if Kane could swallow her in the next second.
"Lord, are you alright?" Catherine asked, trying to maintain composure.
"I'm fine, don't be afraid, Catherine," Kane reassured her, rather than the other way around.
Meanwhile, at a distance, Hoster, who was engaged in battle with Marcus, suddenly flashed and appeared at Marcus's side. With a side kick, he sent Marcus toward Kane.
"Bang."
Kane caught the swiftly flying Marcus with his body.
Seemingly, Hoster's kick had inflicted internal injuries on Marcus. After he stabilized, Marcus continuously coughed up blood.
"Marcus, rest at the back. Catherine, take care of him for me."
Until now, with Catherine's support, Marcus finally saw Kane's face clearly.
"Lord... you..."
After an initial shock, Marcus quickly came to terms with the situation. He was left with a speechless expression.
Kane spoke without turning back, "Details, we'll discuss them when we get through this."
Sizing up Kane, Hoster, who had stopped, put on a layer of Spirit Source Armor for himself.
Then, with a playful look, he appraised Kane.
"I have to admit, you've done me a big favor, my dear nephew."
Kane tightened his grip, staring intently at Hoster, "What game are you playing now, Hoster?"
"Call me uncle, it's only right," Hoster corrected Kane in a rather absurd manner. "Initially, I just wanted to frame you with some unfounded charges, but I didn't expect you to end up like this."
"Not my fault. Now, whoever sees your face will probably think of collusion with the Orc Empire, and the charge of treason is practically confirmed."
Kane sneered, "Hmph, all you know is to play these tricks."
Hoster shrugged indifferently, "Tricks or strategies, as long as I can inherit this Barony."
Choosing not to say more, Kane, without waiting for Hoster to approach, released five or six waves of platinum-colored energy toward him.
Hoster raised his sword, deflecting each of Kane's attacks.
"It's useless. I advise you to surrender early. This way, I can leave you with a complete corpse."
Kane, realizing he couldn't break Hoster's Spirit Source Armor, changed his strategy.
He concentrated a large amount of Spirit Source all over his body, seemingly mimicking Hoster's move against the Shaman on that day.
Suddenly, a platinum light shone in the dark night.
With luminous claws in hand, Kane dashed towards Hoster.
"Dang, dang, dang."
Relentless claw attacks continued to land on Hoster's Spirit Source Armor.
Raising his sword, Hoster repelled Kane, seemingly losing interest.
"If this is all you've got, you'd better surrender willingly."
Understanding that he couldn't break Hoster's Spirit Source Armor, Kane shifted his approach.
He gathered an enormous amount of Spirit Source on his right hand, imitating Hoster's technique against the Shaman.
Instantly, a platinum glow illuminated the night.
With luminous claws, Kane teleported next to Hoster.
Once again, he aimed for Hoster's head.
Unlike before, this time, he effortlessly pierced through Hoster's Spirit Source Armor.
Hoster stepped back, hot blood flowing down from his forehead.
"Well done. Now, this looks more like it."
He raised the sword in his hand and charged at Kane.
Just then, the moonlight, faint and feeble in the night, suddenly broke through the clouds, casting its light on both of them.
Hoster felt the moonlight was unusually glaring, while Kane's body seemed to be restless.
As if merging into his body, the moonlight made his heart beat violently.
With each heartbeat, a powerful force coursed through his body, spreading to every corner.
"Click."
Kane's body started to grow continuously—1.8 meters, 2 meters, 2.5 meters, 3 meters—until he stopped at a height of over 3 meters.
His two pairs of claws extended, reaching the length of short swords, and even his palms became larger.
The most significant change was in Kane's facial features. His mouth elongated forward, and his canine teeth grew longer again. Two pointed, fluffy ears formed on his head.
A robust gray-white tail emerged from his tailbone.
"Awuu~" Kane howled under the moonlight.
Even Hoster, as powerful as he was, took a step back, asking in astonishment, "What kind of monster are you?"