Chapter 1694 Breaking Free

This chapter is updated by Novels.pl

The situation in the neighboring cavern, located just a short distance from where Gary and Lupus were currently fighting for their lives, was deteriorating at an identical pace. Kai was chained up in the echoing space, his eyes scanning the rows of prisoners with a growing sense of dread. He could see that several members of the pack had already reached their breaking point; the transformation was beginning. It was far more widespread than he had initially calculated, at least twenty of them were in various stages of shifting into their primal, beastly forms.

‘How is this happening right now?’ Kai thought, his mind racing to find a logical explanation. ‘I know these guys. Some of them I fought time and time again. Did they manage to sneak some food while we weren’t looking? There were plenty of moments where we were distracted, and we really only had trust to go on. Or maybe they just weren’t as physically drained as they led ourselves to believe.’

Whatever the cause, the time for observation had passed. It was time for Kai to make his move. It was glaringly obvious that if he didn't intervene immediately, the sheer strength of twenty transforming werewolves would be enough to snap the heavy chains holding them to the cavern walls.

Taking a deep breath, Kai lifted his hands. He felt the familiar surge of power as his fur began to sprout, but he didn't stop there. He tapped into a deeper well of his ability. Simultaneously, a bone-chilling frost began to radiate from his palms, surrounding the metal cuffs that bound his wrists. The extreme cold made the iron brittle in an instant. With a sharp tug, he shattered the metal, breaking free with ease. He reached up, grabbing the heavy collar around his neck and ripping it away before tossing it into the darkness of the cave.

The werewolves who hadn’t yet begun to transform watched him in absolute awe. For many of them, the sight was impossible. They had never seen a werewolf wield elemental powers in such a direct, controlled fashion. Some of the older members had heard legends of ancient Alphas who were capable of manifesting the major traits of the beasts they had consumed, but such things were considered myths, stories told to pups, not something seen in person.

And, as far as everyone here was concerned, Kai wasn’t even an Alpha.

‘I can still access some of my elemental powers, but I’m not sure I can go into my true Alpha form while I’m in this world, even though my powers aren't being suppressed here,’ Kai analyzed, his thoughts surprisingly calm despite the chaos. ‘To be honest, it’s probably for the best. If I fully shifted, I’d likely just fall into a crazed, bloodthirsty state anyway. I have to stay focused and try my absolute best not to kill any of these people. They’re still his pack.’

Kai didn't waste another second. He rushed toward one of the werewolves who was thrashing against his restraints, the chains groaning under the strain of the beast's growing muscles. Kai pressed his palm firmly against the iron spike driven into the cavern floor and exhaled a concentrated breath.

While his elemental powers were undeniably strong, they weren't quite on the same level as Lupus’s raw mastery. To achieve the level of freezing power he needed, Kai had to maintain physical contact with the objects he wanted to solidify. He watched as frost crept over the spikes, anchoring them deeper into the permafrost. Once the restraints were reinforced, Kai moved to intercept a werewolf that had already completed its transformation.

The beast lashed out with a direct, lethal swipe of its claws, but Kai was faster. He ducked under the blow with practiced ease, reaching out to grab the creature's foot. He funneled his energy through his grip, incasing the limb in a thick block of ice that fused it to the cavern floor.

‘Even though they’re fueled by an intense hunger and drawing power from some type of deep, primal will, they aren’t at their full strength,’ Kai noted. ‘They’re too worn out from the journey and the lack of food. If anything, that makes them more dangerous in a different way, they’re unpredictable and desperate.’ He hoped the added ice would be enough to hold them steady for a little while longer, but he was under no illusions about the duration. ‘I’m not sure if this will hold them for the entire night. Are we really meant to just keep fighting them off until the sun rises without any support?’

Kai moved like a blur, heading to the next set of werewolves. He worked systematically, freezing their restraints or their limbs where he could. Some required more energy than others, but it was a losing game of numbers. With so many werewolves breaking out at once, it was only a matter of time before one of them managed to get completely free before he could reach them.

The sound of shattering metal was the first thing he heard. Kai snapped his head toward the noise; it had come from the complete opposite side of the cavern. A fully transformed wolf had broken its chains and was already on the move.

‘Let’s see where he decides to head first…’ Kai thought, bracing himself to give chase.

There were two main exits from this area. One path led deeper into the tunnels toward the other pack and the other Alpha, while the stairs led directly to the human settlement above. As he watched, the escaped werewolf didn't hesitate; it lunged toward the stairs, driven by the scent of fresh prey.

To intercept it before it could reach the door and endanger the humans, Kai fully transformed into his wolf form. He dropped to all fours, his muscles coiling and releasing as he sprinted across the uneven floor. He closed the distance in seconds. The moment he reached the rogue werewolf, he bit down hard on the back of its leg, using his neck muscles to fling the creature's entire body away from the stairs.

Kai noticed something then, his own strength felt greatly increased. Being surrounded by so many other werewolves seemed to be acting as a catalyst, heightening his own abilities until he felt even stronger here.

“I guess I might just have to keep taking them down one by one until they completely stop. That should do the trick, right?” Kai said, though there was no one to answer him. He turned back toward the center of the room, eyes scanning for the next threat.

His heart sank as he saw a familiar figure. One individual was down on his knees, his back arching painfully as thick fur began to sprout from his spine. The transformation was slow, agonizing, and unmistakable.

“I was really hoping… it wouldn't be you as well,” Kai said softly.

He watched as Steve, the Alpha of the pack, began to lose himself to the beast.

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