Chapter 167: Werewolf in the woods - 2
In the moonlit woods, the eerie glow of the moon casts long shadows, creating an unsettling ambience.
The werewolf, now standing on two powerful legs, loomed before Jaegar. Its frame had expanded, reaching an imposing height of nearly seven feet, its ebony fur glistening in the pale moonlight. The creature's claws gleamed like silver daggers, a menacing and formidable sight.
Jaegar observed the werewolf with a watchful eye. Unlike their previous encounters, the werewolf didn't immediately launch into an attack. It stood there, an unsettling sense of intelligence gleaming in its fiery, crimson eyes. It was as if the creature was gauging Jaegar, calculating the threat he posed, or perhaps assessing the intentions of the young wizard before it.
The underbrush rustled, and the massive werewolf emerged from the shadows, its red eyes locking onto Jaegar.
The creature's transformation was awe-inspiring and terrifying. Where once stood a wounded man, there now loomed a hulking werewolf, its fur bristling with aggression. The moonlight bathed it in an ethereal glow, casting eerie shadows across its fur.
A tense silence enveloped the forest as the two adversaries locked eyes. The woods bore witness to a standoff.
The forest seemed to hold its breath, the leaves rustling nervously as the trees swayed gently in the night breeze.
With supernatural speed, the werewolf lunged at Jaegar, its claws extended like lethal talons. Jaegar reacted with lightning reflexes, narrowly dodging the initial attack. His heart raced as he realized the direness of his situation. He had no choice but to defend himself.
Summoning his magic, Jaegar's hands crackled with energy as he cast a shield charm to deflect the werewolf's relentless strikes. The creature's immense strength was evident as each blow reverberated through Jaegar's magical barrier. The forest echoed with the clashing of arcane forces and primal savagery.
In a dazzling display of magic, Jaegar retaliated with a barrage of stunning spells, each aimed with precision. Arcane bolts of energy lashed out, striking the werewolf's massive form. The creature roared in agony, but its primal instincts fueled its determination. With animalistic agility, it dodged the spells, leaving scorched trees and shattered stones in its wake.
The battle continued to escalate as the moon cast long shadows, painting a surreal picture of a relentless struggle. Jaegar's movements became fluid and graceful as he wielded his wand with the mastery of a seasoned wizard. He chanted incantations with unwavering focus, each spells a dance of magic and willpower.
The werewolf responded with relentless fury, its eyes burning with predatory hunger. It lunged forward, teeth bared, aiming for Jaegar's throat. In a split-second decision, Jaegar conjured a barrier of fire, forcing the creature to recoil in searing pain.
But the werewolf was relentless. It circled Jaegar, testing his defences and probing for a weakness. In a sudden burst of energy, it leapt forward, its massive form crashing into Jaegar's magical shield.
The ground trembled as the force of the impact threatened to shatter the barrier.
Jaegar's heart raced as he felt the weight of the creature bearing down on him. With every ounce of his strength, he chanted an incantation of expulsion, creating a surge of repelling magic. The werewolf was flung backwards, crashing through the dense underbrush and howling in agony.
With each passing moment, the intensity of the battle increased. The forest bore witness to the incredible clash as spell and tooth met in a surreal dance. Moonlight illuminated the spectacle, turning it into a hauntingly beautiful nightmare.
Once again, both of them halted, their breaths haggard, the werewolf was really tenacious, and it seemed like it could fight still as its eyes were locked on Jaegar.
"You are sturdy as fuck." Jaegar spat on the ground. His hands glowed with crimson lightning, crackling around his fingers.
The werewolf lunged forward, its movements swift and savage. It slashed through the air with claws that gleamed like obsidian daggers.
Jaegar reacted with lightning-fast reflexes, dodging the vicious swipe, and retaliated with a burst of crackling energy from his fingertips.
The bolts of crimson lightning arced towards the beast, finding their mark. The werewolf's fur stood on end as the electrical current coursed through its body, and a guttural howl of pain and fury echoed through the woods.
Undeterred, the werewolf sprang forward again, its powerful jaws snapping hungrily at Jaegar. With a deft twist, Jaegar managed to evade those razor-sharp fangs, but the creature's sheer strength was overwhelming. It slammed him to the ground, its hot breath rancid in his face.
Jaegar struggled beneath the beast's weight, his hands straining to keep those deadly jaws at bay.
Jaegar, his hands still crackling with controlled lightning, maintained his distance from the wounded werewolf. The creature had been struck by his magical assault and now stood trembling, its body wracked with numbing sensations.
With a flicker of his fingers, Jaegar directed a faint current of lightning towards the creature, causing it to recoil and stagger towards a nearby tree. The support of the tree was all that kept the werewolf standing.
As the numbing effect coursed through the werewolf's body, it was clear that Jaegar's intentions were not solely to defeat the creature. He wanted it to revert to its human form.
The pants the werewolf now wore matched the ones Jaegar had seen on the lifeless hunters, fueling his suspicion that one of them had turned into this monstrous form.
He guessed that, from the bite of Ellamaria, he might have turned into a werewolf.
The werewolf's fiery eyes remained fixed on Jaegar, its claws flexing in anticipation, but its movements were sluggish, and its snarls had turned into pained whimpers.
Jaegar offered a small, almost sympathetic smile as he spoke, "Feeling it, eh?
Don't worry; it will be over soon." With those words, Jaegar's resolve remained unshaken, and the battle between his unwavering determination and the werewolf's primal instincts continued.
With a chilling howl that pierced the still night, the formidable werewolf lunged at Jaegar. This time, Jaegar responded with a swift and expert use of his chaos arts. The air around him shimmered with a purplish mist, and with a deft movement of his hands, the mystical mist flowed like a river, swiftly enveloping the creature's legs.
The werewolf was caught off guard as the ethereal mist tightened its grip, pulling the creature back and causing it to crash heavily to the forest floor. It let out a pained whimper as it struggled to regain its footing.
Jaegar seized the opportunity and lunged forward, his fist crackling with the electric fury of his lightning powers. His strike landed squarely on the werewolf's back, and a surge of lightning coursed through the creature's body. It convulsed and writhed, its fur standing on end as the lightning pulsed through it.
Whimpering and shaking violently under the electrical assault, the creature's movements gradually subsided until it lay still and lifeless on the ground.
Jaegar, panting and drained from the intense magical exertion, stepped back from the fallen werewolf.
He hadn't anticipated that a newly transformed werewolf could possess such strength and resilience.
This encounter had proven to be a fierce challenge, one that left him questioning the true nature of the transformation and the force that lay behind it.
As he stood there, his senses were on high alert.
As Jaegar took a cautious step back, he sought the support of a towering oak tree. His breath was heavy, and the encounter with the werewolf had left him drained.
In the wake of the fierce battle, the moon had now dipped below the horizon, and the forest was cloaked in the eerie dimness of the night.
Amidst the shadows, the werewolf's transformation was slowly unfurling. The grotesque creature was regaining its human form. As Jaegar looked upon the fading figure, a sense of realization washed over him. The tattered pants the man wore were unmistakably the same as those of the hunter who had pursued Ellamaria through these very woods.
Jaegar watched the hunter lay still on the ground, pondering his next course of action.
The hunter's body twitched, and a low groan escaped his lips. He blinked his eyes open, the remnants of the transformation still evident in his strained expression.
Jaegar, standing at a cautious distance, couldn't help but ask, "You've awakened?"
The hunter, overcome with the pain that coursed through his body, found it difficult to form words or even respond. Every muscle and bone ached, and he was left nearly incapacitated.
Jaegar, deep in thought, made his way over to the injured man. He pondered the uncertain path that lay ahead.
Not long ago, when Jaegar had summoned his lightning, the entire woods had flashed with a blinding brilliance.
Professor Heath, who had been drawn by the brilliant flash of magical energy, had been following Jaegar since he left the academy. Now, guided by the unexpected illumination, he had reached the very location where Jaegar and the fallen hunter were.
Heath, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern, observed the scene as he approached. Jaegar crouched beside the injured hunter.