Chapter 1691 Are We A Problem?

This chapter is updated by Novels.pl

The festival had already started, even though the sun hadn’t fully dipped below the horizon yet. Above ground, the city was a riot of color and noise. There was a large amount of activity on every street, with vendors shouting over each other to advertise sales and deep discounts on drinks. The whole city was alive, buzzing with the kind of excitement that only comes once a year. But while all of this was happening, the Werewolves of both Packs were being reluctantly put to work in the dark.

They had entered the dungeon through several sealed-off entrances hidden in the city’s foundations. They managed to find two massive, neighboring caverns and immediately began gathering the supplies needed to set up their "cages."

There was equipment here that Gary and the others had never seen before. These weren't just simple iron shackles. The beast-grade chains were specialized tools of war, featuring heavy spikes at the ends that were enchanted by mages. When slammed into the stone, the magic allowed the spikes to fuse with the ground beneath them.

According to Jack’s explanation, the enchantment made the anchor points just as strong as the chains themselves. Unless a Werewolf was physically stronger than the reinforced beast-metal, they couldn't pull the spikes out of the wall. Magic, it seemed, was even more amazing and useful than some of the technology they had in their own day. As the Werewolves finished setting up the two separate camps, the trio was left to have one last important discussion.

“Kai, you look kind of tired,” Lupus noted, glancing at his pale face.

“Of course I am! I had to keep fighting and eating, and then fighting and eating non-stop against Steve’s pack!” Kai snapped, though there was no real heat in it. “And then, when we finally told them why we were doing this, they complained and kicked up a fuss. Do you know how we had to make them compliant? Me and Steve had to give them another round of beatdowns just to get them into the chains. I’m extremely exhausted, both mentally and physically.”

“I guess that’s good,” Gary said, his voice serious. “Closer to the time, the two of us will have to do the same. Maybe we should try fighting against each other again to drain what's left.”

Lupus smiled, clearly liking the idea of a good spar, but then he paused. “Do we even have to worry about that? We aren’t from this world. I know we aren’t sure whether it would affect us or not, and it’s better to be safe than sorry, but I have a feeling we won’t have a problem even if we do have energy.”

“We can’t do things based on just feelings,” Kai replied instinctively, his eyes scanning the cavern for any weak points.

“Wait, but I know what he means,” Gary intervened. “I remember the feeling of a full moon well from the past. Honestly, if we were being affected by the moon in this world, I feel like we would already be feeling agitated. We'd be feeling more powerful as we get closer to midnight.”

Gary looked up at the ceiling, as if he could see through the miles of rock. “It’s as you said, right? We’re here because we were meant to observe something. How would we be able to observe anything if we were to go into a blinding Werewolf rage along with everyone else?”

Kai had to admit, Gary made a solid point. He felt the same way, the "beast" inside him was quiet. Still, the "what if" variable was powerful. If they did turn, who would be left to stop them from tearing the city apart?

“I do agree, but remember one thing we were warned about: if we die here, we really do die. I think that part is certainly true,” Kai replied. “And if we were to transform, we won't be as strong as we usually are in the real world. I’m sure the knights would do everything they could to get rid of us.”

Above them, the sun had already descended, and the party was in full swing. A massive bonfire had been set up in the center of town, casting long, flickering shadows against the buildings. People were already starting to gather in the streets, waiting for the peak of the celebration, but the atmosphere wasn't entirely normal. Some citizens were starting to notice the gaps in the crowd.

“Hey, I haven’t seen Jack or any of his pack out tonight.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” another replied, taking a swig of his drink. “This is the one day where they usually really let go and cause a mess. They’ve done well to earn their place in this city, but their behavior during this festival is the one thing that always sets them back with the public.”

“Right. Maybe this year they just decided to cool down or have their own private event. It works out in their favor if they want to stay on everyone's good side.”

“There is something else I noticed, though,” a merchant whispered, looking toward the castle. “There are a lot more guards and knights out on the street this time. I wonder why that is?”

It was almost an hour until midnight. Everyone below was gathered in their respective corners of the dark. The last few chains were being locked, and soon the trio would have to chain themselves down as well. They were moving toward the wall when, suddenly, a sharp ding echoed in their minds.

All three of them received the same glowing system messages at once:

[Protect The Red Wing Kingdom From the Werewolves]

[You will not be affected by the Full Moon]

[Your Powers are No Longer Suppressed]