"It's gone," Ella muttered, crouching low and running her fingers over the cold puddle of blood on the floor. "And someone definitely died here…"
Remu stood behind her, arms crossed. "Then where's the body? And more importantly—who was it?" She turned sharply toward the werewolves. "Anything?"
Ken stepped forward, sniffing the air. He frowned. "Only scent I'm getting is from a werewolf… but it's not one I know."
The group fell into silence, frustration settling over them like fog. No clues. No answers.
Francisca let out a long sigh. "Look, we came for Angel—we found her. She's safe, that's what matters." She stretched lazily, then waved her hand. "I've got orientation tomorrow, and I need my beauty sleep. Let the hunters handle the rest."
Mob didn't answer. His eyes glowed a pale white, pupils almost vanishing as he raised one hand to the air. A glowing magic circle formed above it, humming softly like a heartbeat.
"I wish it were that easy," Mob said quietly. "But we can't just leave a rogue werewolf running wild. People could die."
The circle spun faster, light flaring across the walls, casting long, shifting shadows. Everyone watched in silence as Mob channeled his divination spell.
"Let's find this bastard before he finds someone else."
Mob's glowing eyes slowly faded back to normal, the magic circle above his hand dissolving into faint sparks.
"…That way." He pointed sharply toward the dark stretch of woods ahead, then floated a few inches off the ground, his coat billowing from the rising energy. "The monster's headed east."
"Tch. Show-off celestial being," Ella muttered, rolling her eyes before vanishing in a blur of movement—gone in a heartbeat.
Ken turned to Francisca, gently placing his unconscious sister in her arms. "Take care of her."
Francisca gave a firm nod. "Got it."
Without wasting another second, Ken and Remu took off after the others, their figures disappearing into the night.
Francisca knelt beside Angel, holding her close. A soft orange flame flickered to life in her palm—her foxfire. It gently spread across Angel's body, wrapping her in warm light as it started healing her wounds little by little.
She sighed. "You really had to go full beast mode, huh…"
The forest around them fell into silence again, the calm before the storm.
Deep in the forest, high up on a crooked branch, Lucifer crouched like a shadow, crimson eyes locked onto the werewolf slowly pacing below. Moonlight glinted off his fangs as he grinned wide.
"There you are, ugly…"
With a sharp flicker, he vanished from the branch—appearing behind the beast in a flash of black mist.
SHLKT!
His claws tore through flesh.
The werewolf roared in pain, blood spraying across the leaves. It spun with rage, its massive arm sweeping out like a tree trunk. Lucifer twisted mid-air, but not fast enough.
CRACK!
The backhand caught his ribs, sending him flying through two trees with a sickening crunch.
"Gah—!" Lucifer slammed into the ground, coughing blood. He dragged himself up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Okay… stronger than I thought…"
The werewolf charged, snarling, each step cracking the earth beneath it. Lucifer barely rolled aside before a claw dug into where his chest just was. He reached out and grabbed the beast's arm, digging his claws in, only for the werewolf to bite down hard on his shoulder.
CRUNCH!
"AGHHH!" Lucifer screamed, driving his knee into the werewolf's jaw over and over until it let go, blood pouring from the bite wound.
The beast lunged again—slamming him against a tree.
BOOM!
The bark exploded, splinters flying everywhere. Lucifer's vision blurred as the werewolf raised both claws and drove them down—
But he disappeared in a cloud of mist just before the impact.
He reappeared behind the monster, panting, his body already healing thanks to the Progenitor Bloodline.
"Hey," he growled, blood running down his face. "Remember me? I'm the guy you killed."
The werewolf turned, teeth bared.
"I'm back… to finish what you started."
Lucifer ducked under another claw swipe—barely—the beast's strike slicing clean through a tree behind him like butter. Bark exploded. Leaves rained.
"Damn…" he muttered, staggering back, blood dripping from his nose. "I can't go head-to-head with this thing…"
The werewolf snarled, eyes glowing blue. It was relentless. No hesitation. No pause. Just pure rage.
Lucifer's back hit a tree. No more space to run.
The werewolf pounced.
But just before its claws reached him—Lucifer's eyes lit up.
Blood-red. Hypnotic.
Vampire Charm—Activated.
The werewolf froze mid-strike. Confused. Dazed.
Lucifer's voice came low and smooth. Velvet wrapped in razor wire.
"Stop."
The werewolf twitched, its body trembling as if fighting an invisible force. It growled, confused by its own hesitation. Its claws hovered inches from Lucifer's chest.
"Good boy," Lucifer whispered, taking a shaky step forward. His fangs peeked from his smirk, dripping crimson.
"You're strong. But dumb."
With a sudden burst of speed, he slipped past the werewolf's arms, wrapped himself around the beast's back, and sank his fangs deep into its neck.
CRUNCH.
The werewolf howled in agony—but couldn't move. Its limbs locked in place by Lucifer's charm.
Lucifer drank deep—viciously. The taste hit him like electricity. Wild. Chaotic. Powerful.
But he didn't stop.
He kept drinking.
And drinking.
And drinking.
The werewolf thrashed weakly, body trembling—then slowly, it started to shrink. Muscles deflated. Its howls died into whimpers.
And finally… silence.
Lucifer let the corpse fall.
It hit the ground with a thud.
Steam rose from his body as he stepped back, veins glowing faint red under his skin. His eyes burned crimson, mouth stained in fresh blood.
"…Tastes like dog."
He wiped his lips, still breathing heavy. His wounds had vanished.
[Blood Consumption Complete.]
[Stats slightly increased.]
Lucifer looked at his hands, the power humming under his skin.
He grinned, wide and wicked. "Okay… that was kinda hot."
[DING]
[First kill confirmed.]
[You gained 35 EXP.]
Lucifer blinked as the message echoed in his head.
"…Huh. Only 35? I drank that bastard like a Capri Sun."
He rolled his neck, blood still drying on his lips.
"Whatever. Gotta start somewhere."
He turned, kicking the werewolf's drained body aside like trash.
"Got to get out of here before those guys arrive."