The green-furred werewolf's transformation unraveled, revealing its true form. Before me stood an eight-foot-tall ogre, its leathery green skin glinting faintly under the moonlight. Tube-like ears flanked its head, and patches of coarse, matted hair clung to its grotesque body. Its yellow eyes gleamed with malevolence, and jagged teeth gnashed together in fury.
I froze for a moment, trying to comprehend what I was seeing. "An ogre?" I muttered, my voice betraying my disbelief.
Gaston, breathing heavily and gripping his sword tightly, glanced at the monstrous figure. "Great. First werewolves, now ogres. "What's next, a talking donkey?"
"This isn't the time for jokes!"I shot him an exasperated look, though I was already calling on my powers.
Before I could act, the Book of Guidance materialized beside me, its ethereal glow casting a faint light in the darkness. The pages flipped on their own, new text scrawling itself in bold, ancient letters.
---
[You have met a crucial character in a story. You have unlocked: Shrek Forever After.]
[Krekraw]
[Age: 26]
[Title: The Hunchback, The Experimental Fusion]
[Race: Ogre/Werewolf]
[Abilities: Shape-shifting, Mad Roar, Regeneration]
[Note: A soldier of the Ogre Resistance who was captured and experimented on by a mad scientist.]
---
My eyes skimmed the text quickly. "Experimented...?" I whispered.
Before I could read further, the ogre let out a guttural roar that shook the ground beneath me. It lunged with surprising speed, swinging a massive arm in a wide arc. Gaston dove out of the way just in time, the ogre's fist smashing into the cobblestone street, leaving a crater.
I reacted instinctively, manipulating the ice sand laced with silver dust that still lingered from earlier and shaped it into razor-like projectiles and hurled them at the ogre. The shards struck its thick hide, eliciting a snarl of pain as the silver-infused wounds sizzled.
"Tsk, this isn't working," I muttered, taking a few steps back as the ogre lumbered toward me, its thunderous steps rattling the ground. I raised a compact wall of winter sand, reinforcing it as much as possible.
"Keep it distracted!" Gaston shouted, dashing toward the creature's blind side.
"Easy for you to say!" I retorted, sending another wave of silver-laced shards to the ogre's face.
The beast roared again, shattering the sand wall with a single blow and swiping at me. I barely ducked under its massive claws, rolling away to avoid being crushed.
Gaston seized the moment, leaping onto the ogre's back and driving his sword deep into its shoulder. The creature howled in pain, thrashing wildly to dislodge him. Gaston held on, his blade digging deeper into the flesh.
"Come on, you overgrown troll!" Gaston taunted, withdrawing the sword and slashing at the ogre's neck.
"Pretty sure it's an ogre!" I called out, hurling another barrage of silver-laced shards at its face.
The beast twisted violently, finally flinging Gaston off its back. He hit the ground hard, but he was grinning, blood dripping from his lip. "Tsk! Still standing, you ugly brute!"
But then, the ogre convulsed violently, its grotesque form contorting again. Fur sprouted across its body, its face elongating into a snarling maw. The ogre-werewolf hybrid roared, its towering figure now even more monstrous than before.
It lunged at me, its claws outstretched. I summoned a spiraling vortex of winter sand, reinforced with silver dust, and engulfed its arm. The grains bit into its flesh, freezing it in place as the beast roared in frustration.
"This ends now," I said firmly, forming a blade from the silver-laced ice. With a powerful leap, I drove the blade into the creature's temple.
The werewolf-ogre hybrid let out a final, pained roar before collapsing to the ground with a thunderous crash.
---
As the dust settled, I approached the lifeless form cautiously, my breaths shallow and quick. Its fur receded, claws retracting as the monstrous features melted away. The original ogre lay before me, gasping weakly.
"How can an ogre become a werewolf?" I whispered, kneeling beside its body. This wasn't natural—something far darker was at play.
I stretched out my hand over the dying creature, my voice low and resolute.
"Devour."
Dark tendrils emerged from my palm, swirling and forming a grotesque, jaw-like structure that latched onto the ogre. The creature's body stilled as its essence dissolved into the swirling void. Power surged through me—raw, primal, and untamed. For a moment, I felt my own transformation stirring, clawing to surface, but I suppressed it with a deep breath.
Huu~
---
Before I could process what had happened, a distant howl echoed through the night.
Bang!
A nearby house exploded outward, debris scattering everywhere as a figure was flung through the air. Gaston's eyes widened. "Desmond?!"
The man lying amidst the rubble waved weakly. "Hey there," he said, a crooked smile on his bruised face. "Could use a little help."
From the smoke, a man emerged, his posture calm, hands clasped behind his back. His scarred eye and long black hair made him appear even more imposing.
"Why is he... nude?" I muttered, narrowing my eyes.
The man smirked, his voice smooth and laced with amusement. "Transformation destroys clothes, young man."
The Book of Guidance reappeared beside me again, its pages flipping rapidly.
---
[Were D. Wolf]
[Age: 291]
[Title: Big Bad Wolf, Mad Scientist]
[Race: Werewolf]
[Abilities: Shape-shifting, Regeneration, Geokinesis, Rampage]
[Note: A man who created a solution to prevent the extinction of his kind.]
________
Hey, Phoenix here! I want to apologize for not uploading anything this past week. I had exams, and I'm still working on balancing my studies with writing, since creating fanfic novels is just a hobby for me. But don't worry—I'll be posting two chapters tomorrow! (Not today, because I still have school early in the morning.)
Also, make sure to check out the auxiliary chapter where I've uploaded pictures of the characters.
Thanks, and see you soon!