Chapter 23 - Sweet Traces Part 23: When He Says Okay, It's Certain

Bare-chested, Luciano approached Filia and retrieved a bag of star candies from his pocket, placing it in her hand."Help me hold onto this for a moment, I'll take it back later.""Hmm?"Filia blinked, unsure of his intentions. Without a word, Luciano turned, removing his shoes and unbuckling his belt. Before Filia's eyes, he shed the last piece of clothing— a black pair of shorts she had gifted him and unraveled the bandage wound around his waist.Though his body bore numerous scars and the injury around his waist appeared severe, the sight of his silhouette unconsciously made Filia swallow hard.Despite having gazed upon him countless times previously, each viewing stirred an overwhelming rush of excitement within her.Yet, at such a critical moment, why was he undressing?As Filia wondered, the scene before her once again left her wide-eyed in astonishment.Luciano transformed—not into a werewolf but into a large, white wolf.Approaching Filia, the majestic wolf lowered its head to regard her seated form."Come.""Come where?"Filia stammered, her eyes fixed on Luciano's blue orbs, her mind a blank slate."Jump on my back; we'll leap over."Jump over? Did he mean leap over?!At that moment, Filia snapped back to reality. She looked at the ravine ahead, estimating a distance of at least ten meters. Could he truly accomplish this?However, Filia's doubts dissipated in an instant.If he says "okay," it will be done.Without further delay, Filia, despite her extreme weakness, reached out and felt for Luciano's back.Anticipating difficulty in her ascent, Luciano bent down for her convenience. Once Filia finally climbed onto his back and settled in, Luciano rose to his feet."Hold onto my neck tightly; don't let go, understand?"Nodding obediently, Filia then bent down, intertwining her hands around his neck.Indeed, his fur was incredibly soft.Glancing once more at the ravine ahead, Luciano began to backtrack. Once they had covered sufficient distance for a running start, his hind legs gradually bent."Don't be afraid; hold on tight.""Okay.""Let's go."With these final words, the transformed white wolf hurtled forward, akin to a white bolt of lightning.After propelling off a stone at the edge of the cliff, the massive white wolf soared through the air, effortlessly clearing the deep chasm with some space to spare upon landing.Upon touching down, Luciano wasted no time, as night had now fallen exactly at nine o'clock.Meanwhile, on the other side, Cole stood atop a hill, his demeanor fraught with indecision.Time was running out, with many team members beginning to feel physically unwell. Despite finding two barely conscious Command Guard team members along their search route and learning that the commander had indeed entered the dense forest, altering direction now was no longer an option."Captain, if we don't leave soon, something might happen."An onlooker from the team of werewolves voiced concern as several humans on the ship had already succumbed to fainting spells.Bracing himself, Cole finally gave the nod."Inform the pilot; we're heading back."Following the directive, the rescue ship ascended slowly. However, just as the large hatch at the rear of the ship was about to seal shut, a white figure could be seen dashing toward them from the nearby hill."Captain, look! It's, it's the white wolf!" the werewolf member yelled, prompting Cole to look in that direction."It's the commander, the commander! Lower the altitude, quickly."Cole shouted, though at that moment, a group of demonic assassin beasts, riding on infernal bats, caught up. Given their numbers, the ship had no time to land and allowed Luciano and Filia to board."Everyone who can move, get up and cover the commander and Athena."Unable to land, the ship maintained low-altitude flight, and Cole, armed with a gun, began firing at the infernal bats.Luciano understood the dire circumstances and, gritting his teeth, increased their speed once more.As the ship was forced to ascend due to enemy attacks, Luciano, within his ability, executed the final leap. Upon the white wolf's entry into the cabin, its massive body collided with a wall due to inertia.Rolling off the wolf's back, Filia finally relaxed, releasing the tension in her body.As she relaxed, her eyes drifted shut."I'm too tired, so sleepy..."While the ship continued to jostle, Filia drifted off to sleep.Simultaneously, the rescue ship escaped the danger and soared toward the vast expanse of the sky.While Filia slept, Cole was still reeling from the ordeal. He tossed his gun aside and hurried to check on Filia, but as he leaned in, the white wolf next to her raised its head, fixing him with a gaze.In a single glance, Cole felt a chill run down his spine.Within the wolf's azure eyes, there was no sign of the cosmos; instead, a thick aura of killing intent emanated, as if it could snap his neck at any moment should he dare approach.Swallowing hard, Cole took a step back. Unfamiliar with wolfman behavior, he assumed that after the transformation, the commander's temperament might have altered. It seemed reasonable that he should not get too close.Meanwhile, with Filia curled up beside the long white wolf's tail, apparently sleeping soundly, Cole refrained from any further moves, circling before proceeding toward the front of the ship to communicate with the command center.Twenty minutes later, the rescue ship returned to the Zeus.However, due to the sensitive nature of the situation, the ship docked at the Commander's exclusive landing pad on the Zeus.As the ship's door opened, General Lin, General Dee, and David stood outside.The medical team rushed forward to attend to the wounded, but even they were taken aback upon seeing the colossal white wolf standing up.The white wolf rose slowly, casting a final glance at the still-unconscious Filia before making its departure. Under the gaze of onlookers, Luciano, in his white wolf form, walked into the elevator alongside David.Finally returning to his room, Luciano collapsed onto the carpet, gradually reverting to his human form."Commander, are you alright?"David covered him with a blanket."I'm fine. Go watch over Athena; let me know when she wakes up."With those words, Luciano succumbed to unconsciousness.